


Secrets of The Outer Rim

by Iona_Albuquerque



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/F, Order 66, Original Character(s), SWTOR references
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:22:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 24
Words: 183,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26192611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iona_Albuquerque/pseuds/Iona_Albuquerque
Summary: Padawan Zaliza Vyvan and her master Ullara Avdune lead the 1204th Clone Battalion through the Outer Rim at the end of the Clone Wars. The effects of the war are severe on the Padawan and this leaves Zaliza vulnerable to the ancient mysteries hidden beyond known space. The journey of a Jedi as she forges a path that is not with the Republic, not the separatists, not the Empire, nor the rebels.
Comments: 14
Kudos: 13





	1. The Horrors of Warfare

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place during the end of the Clone Wars and begins during the Siege of Felucia. I wrote the first act of this story at the beginning of the year and I've resumed with act two now - and I figured I would post this story on AO3 while I was at it - updates will be biweekly. This first act of the story is basically concurrent with Clone Wars season seven, however, I wrote it before the season came out, nevertheless, thanks to some comfortable distance between events, they don't seem to contradict.

Act I.

The Last Days of The Jedi Order.

Chapter I.

The Horrors of Warfare.

* * *

I took cover behind some bizarre gargantuan plant as two AT-TE walkers advanced at either side of me, their heavy cannons doing anything and everything to battle the battle droids entrenched on the ridge line above. The Clone wars were waging on all around the galaxy as The Galactic Republic with its Jedi peacekeepers and legions of Clone troopers battled against The Confederacy of Independent Systems, the separatist faction wielding the largest droid armies in history, all under the supervision of the Sith Lord Count Dooku. I had to believe that victory was near, all our information suggested that we had the separatists outnumbered, outgunned, and outmatched, but as I looked at the Clone troopers trying to advance with the walkers being gunned down one by women by separatist laser fire, I didn't exactly feel like we were about to win. I knew that the only way we were going to advance is if I personally lead the charge.

I activated both ends of my double-bladed lightsaber, causing two purple blades to shimmer into life. I leaped out from cover and charged the droid positions, bringing the pinned down Clone forces with me as we sought to finally take the ridge. I cut the legs off of a battle droid with the rear blade of my weapon before swinging around and bringing the front blade down into its chest, disabling it. Using my lightsaber, I threw the wreckage into some droids on my left, bringing me the time I needed to swing around again and cut down another B1 Battle Droid. This left my preoccupied with the second line of heavier, deadlier B2 Super Battle Droids. I plunged my blade into the head of one droid before it could even fire but the rest were too quick. I was forced to go on the defensive. I used the Force to amplify my movements and I spun my double-bladed weapon with impossible speed, redirecting laser bolts at the blasted droids.

"Danger close!" a clone trooper shouted and I was forced to take cover yet again. I looked up to the skies as a squadron of Y-wing bombers strafed over the battle field, dropping their payload on the droid forces in the valley beyond the ridge line. A plant shielded my as heat and smoke blew past me at the side of the poor Felucian tree. There was a time in my life where I would have been shell-shocked by having just experienced an air strike from so close, but not anymore. It is impossible to ever truly get used to the sensation of hellfire and shrapnel exploding all around you every which way while brutal sound waves punish your ears and the stench of death defiles your smell, but the Clone Wars have at least made me numb to these horrors, after all, I face them time and time again in my duties as a Jedi Padawan. War and all the horrors attached to it are just another element of my life.

I am sixteen years old.

The air strike had cleared the way so that we could take the ridge line, the Clones and I finished off the charred remains of any droid stragglers. The first step of our mission complete, I knelt down at the edge of the ridge line, observing the valley below. The bombing run had down its job, scorching droids and the innocent plants and lifeforms of Felucia above, however, the separatist presence on this part of Felucia was so great that the droid armies already had reinforcements filling up the valley while their comrades were still crawling out from under the rubble. Clone Commander Warlock joined me. The officer in his white armor personalized with purple details, including a visor, a pauldron, and a black skirt around his legs was covered in stylized purple lightning bolts, a sort of symbol that he adopted when he was given the moniker Warlock. The man was an excellent soldier and I trusted him with my life, so, while we were technically equal rank, he was the professional and I was the peacekeeper - I may be a better fighter, but I tended to leave decisions to him when it came to actual battle strategy and tactics. My master, Master Avdune, operated rather similarly, though she had stayed to protect our heavier tanks, the A6 Juggernauts, as the massive wheeled vehicles took the winding local road rather than advancing straight through the heavy jungle like we had with the walkers.

"Wishlist! Williams! Winch! On me, we're heading into the valley with Commander Vyvan! Warden, Witchcraft - cover us!" Warlock gave the order and primed his scattergun before we slid down into the valley below, my double-bladed purple lightsaber cutting down droid after droid as Warlock blasted a fist sized hole into a Super Battle Droid. Wishlist was Warlock's second in command, earning his name due to his habit of requisitioning huge amounts of gear, gear which he admittedly put to good use. The Clone always seemed to have more droid poppers and thermal detonators than everyone else, something which the soldier proudly displayed by rolling a droid popper into a group of droids. The EMP grenade electrocuted the droid while otherwise being harmless. Clearing the way for the soldier with a purple W - the unofficial logo of the 1204th - painted across his helmet to advance. Williams was armed with a full length blaster rifle and his armor was so heavily painted purple that the white seemed like the accents rather than the other way around, nevertheless, he was meticulous as he blasted the heads off of B1 Battle Droids time and time again. He was our squadron's strategist. Winch earned his name because he was initially our squad's mechanic, however, the war has forced his to take on triple duty as mechanic, field medic, and soldier all at once. The war was hard on all of us and the soldier with the two purple tesla coils painted on either side of his T-shaped visor was no exception.

A group of droidekas rolled out of the brush and were about to stop and activate their shields when Warden - so called because of his skills with crowd control - unleashed the full power of his Z6 Rotary Cannon. The soldier with a stylized prison cage painted over his chest and a purple police badge painted just above his visor mowed down the droidekas before they could even become a problem. All of us were so distracted by the arrival of the destroyer droids we didn't even notice that a commando droid was about to ambush Commander Warlock, fortunately, he had a guardian angle on his side. Witchcraft was a young clone who Warlock had taken on as a protege and the young ward paid his teacher back by saving his life. A single sniper bolt to the head brought down the commando droid and alerted us to the ambush. I turned on a dot and bisected the one that was about to ambush me. Wishlist, Williams, and Winch all opened fire while Warden suppressed them. The Clones celebrated, once again, their squadron had faced impossible odds and lived to tell the tale.

Clone troopers were bred for the sole purpose of war. Most of them are expected to die.

The airstrike had thinned their numbers and reduced their AAT tanks to smoldering wrecks, but we were not done, not by a long shot. Warden and Witchcraft joined us from the ridge along with other members of the 1204th battalion that I was less familiar with. We had to take the rest of the valley and join up with Master Avdune on the main road. She is counting on us taking the direct route faster than the road so that we can clear a large separatist checkpoint before it could catch our tanks as sitting ducks.

My robes, a very dark reddish-brown protected my red skin - I was a Zeltron, a near human species with red-skin - I had purple eyes and black hair, though the latter was hidden under my hood. In this outfit I advanced through the wreckage and exotic plant life of Felucia into what was surely going to be another separatist force. The brush in the valley eventually gave way to another clearing just off of the road and my suspicions proved correct. We had to face one last separatist force before attacking the checkpoint. I reactivated both ends of my lightsaber as the All Terrain Tactical Enforcer walkers opened fire on the droid ranks. Destroying their AAT tanks and announcing our arrival. I charged into battle, the clones not far behind me.

I Force pushed a number of B1 battle droids down, the pressure combined with their impact with the ground was enough to break the standard droid units. A B2 Super Battle Droid equipped with a rocket launcher aimed at me, charged his blaster, and was about to fire when I waved my right hand and his arm was suddenly aiming to his right, directly at a number of fuel barrels. The explosion finished off half the droids but, unfortunately for us, the droids left standing were the heavier, tougher droids. Two vulture droids were on the ground, using their pointed wings as legs, fully capable of splitting a person clean in half. I would focus on them. I got their attention with a battle cry and slid below a laser blast before twisting off my rear into a standing position. My saberstaff pierced one of the four legs. I cut the leg off and the droid was falling over. I penetrated the droid's head from below, stabbing droid through the under-chassis. One vulture droid down, one to go. I ran up the body of the one droid and jumped into the air above the other one. I gathered the Force in my free right hand before coming straight down. An explosion of energy directly on top of the vulture droid's head killed it. I jumped off and touched down on the ground While Williams kicked a Super Battle Droid's leg out from under it, allowing Warden to spray it with his rotary cannon.

We had done all that, but now we had to take the checkpoint. The six man clone squad, three other troopers, and I knelt down at the side of the road, behind the checkpoint. Three two story barricades blocked the road with two towers - one on either side. A tactical droid was in command of a force of B1 and B2 battle droids, the B1s on the tower were armed with Geonosian sonic cannons. There were two crab droids with them. This was going to be difficult, but not impossible. Wishlist passed a thermal detonator to each of us - his requisitions did indeed come in handy.

We threw our grenades at the droid checkpoint and attacked. The tactical droid had survived but I opted to correct that immediately. I used my lightsaber holding left hand to pull the droid towards me while simultaneously using my free right hand to Force push the droid's head away. The tactical droid was decapitated as his head and body went flying separated directions. I ran towards a crab droid before jumping on top of it and plunging the rear blade of my weapon into its skull. I then moved on the right side tower. Running close to the tower I cut down the supports opposite of the road and got out of the way as the tower fell back into the valley. The B1 battle droid, out of incompetence, decided to help me by firing its sonic cannon at the opposite tower, bringing that one down too. I looked through the barrier as Commander Warlock gunned down the last Super Battle Droid, censoring the act by scorching the glass window of the barrier. The checkpoint was clear.

"Clear the barriers and move the walkers up to the clearing. Once Master Avdune arrives, we're taking down the separatist base." I gave the order and helped the troops by lifting and moving the central barrier with the Force. The barriers were clear and the AT-TE walkers moved into position, aiming their guns at the spire of the separatist base at the end of the road. Our mission on Felucia was to take down this base, allowing for General Aayla Secura and her forces to land their cruisers and begin their full scale assault on the planet. We would be returning to Coruscant for a time after this, our campaign through separatist space has been lengthy and losses have been high. The men have more than earned their break.

The A6 Juggernauts arrived and Master Avdune jumped down from the roof, landing next to me. The Mirialan deactivated her green lightsaber and placed it on the belt around her brown robes. She was ever so slightly taller than me but our built was basically the same. My Master was only 25, only nine years older than me. She would not have taken a Padawan on this early under normal circumstances, however, the war means that Jedi Knights and Jedi Masters are becoming ever more scarce while the number of Padawans, still recruited before the Clone Wars, some even even Naboo, stay the same. The gap between master and apprentice has never been smaller, such is the price of this war.

Children leading children to die.

Missiles from the Juggernauts and laser fire from the AT-TEs destroyed the separatist base as our LAAT/I gunships landed in the clearing. Explosions and smoke filled the skies behind us as the spire collapsed, but I didn't care, I found it all distasteful. I boarded a gunship with Master Avdune and our main squadron of clones, we would be taken back to our star destroyers. I was grateful when the doors shut, I didn't have to see the devastation anymore, though I knew that this was not the end. General Secura would lead the Republic through the rest of The Battle of Felucia while Master Avdune and I were sent off to some other battlefield. We were no longer peacekeepers, we were now soldiers, as far as I was concerned, there was no denying it anymore.

* * *

I watched from the bridge of the Venator-class star destroyer _Sage_ as we hit hyperspace before leaving the bridge all together. I was heading back to my quarters. I had my hood down and stood quietly as I rode the elevator down, two clones were on it with me, though they kept their conversation to themselves - I didn't mind. I left the elevator just as quietly once we reached my level, the clones continued on their way down. I walked down the familiar hallway to my quarters - they were adjacent to Master Avdune's - before entering them.

Jedi quarters were sparse, such was the way of the Jedi. There was a cot for me, a spare set of robes, and a small shelf where I could put my lightsaber. There was a bathroom connected to it - nothing special, just a sink, a vacc tube, and a refresher. I laid down on my cot but I was not going to sleep yet, I wasn't in the mood for meditating either, but I wanted to be alone. I understand that our enemies are just droids, I know that when I reach out with the Force, they are not alive, in fact, they are voids in the Force, but we have seen time and time again that droids are capable of free-thinking, that they can act independently, and that they can develop personalities, they may not be lifeforms in the conventional sense, but they are definitely something. Not since the golden age of the Sith have the Jedi been so involved in a war and those wars brought the Republic to its knees, I fear that this war is having a similar effect on both the Jedi and the Republic.

The Jedi claim to be peacekeepers and we claim to be the personifications of the Light Side of the Force, but when I am told by the Jedi Council to go off and bring separatist worlds back under Republic control, against the will of their governments, I can't help but think that, with every passing day, what separates us from the Sith is shrinking and shrinking. I know that the Jedi mean well, I know that our war is in service of the Republic, but I question if we even should be serving the Republic. First of all, if the Jedi are to be peacekeepers, is it not best for us to be entirely impartial? How are we supposed to truly be peacekeepers if we have a vested interest in seeing the Republic succeed and grow? The Jedi Order should be entirely neutral. Alternatively, if we are to be defenders of the Republic first and peacekeepers second, should we not object to Chancellor Palpatine with his multiple terms, his increasing use of emergency powers, and his growing influence over every facet of government? I am not proposing a coup, I am proposing that we defend the Republic's constitution rather than the Republic's leader. The role of the Jedi within and without the Republic is becoming increasingly questionable and that scares me, especially because no one seems to be doing anything about it, not Master Avdune, not famous Jedi like Aayla Secura or Anakin Skywalker, and not the Jedi Council.

I am scared for what will happen to the Jedi after the war - can Padawans like I really go back to resolving local disputes and questing for knowledge after going directly from being younglings to become front line soldiers? I am scared of what will happen to the clones - how will the Republic handle it when there's suddenly millions of identical men with accelerating aging and the most advanced military training of all time looking for jobs? I'm scared for the Republic itself - how can we go back to regular democracy and economics after Palpatine took control of so many senatorial duties and of the banks to fight this war? I didn't know the answers to any of those questions and that terrified me. My entire life is moving at the speed of light and I fear what will happen when all of that comes to a sudden stop. I know that Master Yoda always warned myself and other Padawans about fear when we were mere younglings, but, with the entire galaxy at war, how can I not feel fear? I want help, I need help, but I feel like I would disappoint Master Avdune if I ask her. I don't want her to think that I am doubting her or that I'm a bad student, it's not her fault and it's not my fault, but I don't know how to confront that.

Spending my whole life in the Jedi Temple has made me an excellent thinker, there is so much to learn and so much to think about, but the fact that we are to control our emotions and the fact that most masters are far older than their apprentices - though again, the Clone Wars have changed that, though not for the right reasons - my social skills are stunted. I don't know how to ask my master the questions that I so desperately want answered. Perhaps a friend around my age would make things easier, but it's hard to make friends in a war. Not just because assignments often put us on opposite ends of the Galaxy but because any Padawan I befriend can die in any mission at any point. I don't want to go through all the effort of making a friend just to see them die. I would really need help then and getting warned about making attachments is not help, far from it.

"I sensed you are in distress." Master Avdune quietly entered my room. I took a deep breath, Ullara may be my master and she may have authority over me, but she is the closest person to my age within the Order that I talk to on a regular basis and she isn't that much older than me, surely she must at least understand this turmoil. I had to hope that she would help me, because now that she has confronted me, I know that she won't let me be until she hears the truth. I suppose that this makes her a good master and a good person, but it didn't really feel that way for me, this felt like something I may be punished over. If nothing else, I hope this didn't make Master Avdune doubt my ability to become a Jedi Knight.

"Yes master, I am sorry, but I am troubled." I admitted, rising up to a seated position but unwilling to make eye contact quite yet, I feel like seeing her reactions would only make my confession harder than it already is. Sensing her emotions would only do the same thing so I tried to focus on anybody but her, I wanted to deafen myself to her emotions as much as possible "I am worried about the Jedi."

"About the Jedi? How so?" Master Avdune asked, clearly assuming that I had a vision about some sort of Sith plot. Somehow, I wish that it was that simple, a Sith plot, while usually obscenely complex and immoral, was at least something tangible, something that could be stopped in a rather straightforward way. The rotting of the Jedi and the Republic from the inside out? That was a more troublesome issue.

"Master...I fear that we are not staying true to our mandate. Jedi are supposed to be peacekeepers, guardians, scholars, yet instead, we are commanders and generals fighting a war that is essentially a Republic Civil War." the separatists were systems that voted to leave the Republic, now, the Republic does not have a form of lawful secession, but, the secession is democratic. People voted for this, now, Count Dooku certainly coerced any worlds into joining his cause, but we are not viewing this from an entirely impartial perspective. We are seeing the separatists as Sith because they are led by a Sith but we are seeing ourselves as an instrument of the Republic. I wonder how the Jedi would react to this war if we truly were impartial keepers of the peace.

"The war is hard on all of us Zaliza, but the Sith started this war as a plot to take over the Republic. Separatist democracy is a ruse to bring legitimacy to a Sith regime after countless Sith Empires have failed in the past. It is our mission to defend the Republic from the Sith and, while I do agree that seeing us as commanders and generals aboard star destroyers is not how the Jedi Order should be, this is how the Council has opted to proceed and we must stay loyal to our Council." Master Avdune explained, I understood that we had to protect the galaxy from the Sith but is this really the way to do that? The goal of this war is not to track down and stop Count Dooku, if it was, you'd think that we would have at least figured our Dooku's proper Sith name by now, but no, we are being used as shock troops in a war between the Republic and the separatists. As for staying loyal to the Jedi Council, well...what if the Jedi Council is not acting in accordance to the Jedi Code? What comes first, the Code or the Council? I knew that my master was trying to help and I was grateful for it, but her assurances are just making me ask more and more questions leading to me feeling more and more troubled.

"Master...how are we supposed to go back to being regular Jedi after all of this?" I asked the question that was probably disturbing me the most. I didn't understand how we were expected to just shrug off the horrors of warfare when all of this war over. I don't understand how training to kill, resentment between Republic systems and separatist systems, and the mental strain of seeing thousands of clones die in battle can be erased. I fear that, even if we do live through this war, Master Avdune and I will spend the rest of our lives cleaning up the shadow of this conflict.

"We have to try Zaliza. Everything happens for a reason and the Force is testing us, the Jedi, as a group. It will be difficult to tame ourselves and to tame the galaxy when the fighting ends, but it is up to the Jedi Order to find a way. Without the Jedi, there can never truly be peace in this galaxy." Master Avdune tried to assure me, passing this whole war off as some sort of mass cosmic trial, but I didn't buy it for a second. My master is trying to assure me but she doesn't have the answers to these questions, I bet not even her former master does, the Clone Wars have resulted in a great division between those who wish to learn and those who actually have the wisdom to teach. Master Avdune is a fantastic Jedi and she has taught me everything that I know, but she is struggling to teach me now. She has taught me how to use the Force, she has taught me how to use a lightsaber, and she has taught me how to do battle, but she has never taught me how to achieve inner peace because that is something that she never achieved. I think it has been a long time since any Jedi has achieved inner peace, perhaps Master Yoda was the last one to do so, perhaps not even he has done it, but the for every other Jedi, it is clear that we are not at peace within.

I know that Master Avdune must be struggling with these same questions inside of her and, if she wasn't before, she certainly is now. If the both of us are struggling with this, then this is indicative of a larger problem within the Jedi. We must recommit ourselves to peace and find our purpose in the galaxy, otherwise, more and more young Jedi Padawans will be forced to become child soldiers.

* * *

"Master Jedi, we are being alerted to an incident on the C77-R5S landing pad. All available troops in the area are being called to respond." Our clone pilot said over the intercom when we were finally coming in for a landing on Coruscant. No rest for the Jedi I suppose.

"Take us there now captain." Master Avdune ordered and our shuttle changed course. I didn't like that there was already an incident when we had just arrived on Coruscant, though I suppose it has been a long time since I've had to do something that didn't involve the war or my increasingly worried thoughts over it. This was annoying, but perhaps it would turn out to be good for me. The shuttle touched down on the landing pad and Master Avdune and I got off, both of us holding our lightsabers but not activated them. Ullara held her single-bladed green lightsaber in her right hand and I had my double-bladed purple lightsaber in my left. Master Avdune had initially questioned why I went with such a weapon if I was opposed to war, I then explained that there is a peaceful element to martial arts and that, in many ways, learning how to properly use a saberstaff used the same skills as meditation. I needed to be focused, obviously, I needed to be calm - erratic anger with a double-bladed lightsaber is a good way to cut yourself in half - and I needed to be in touch with the Force - I had to feel where the weapon would go and how it would react before I even moved.

The incident, didn't seem to be much of an incident at all. Sure, a number of Republic troops were gathered and training their blasters at the other party, but when I looked over at the other party, what I saw was hardly threatening. A mildly annoyed red-skinned Nautolan woman with sharp black tattoos down her Lekku stood wearing a black and purple hooded robe, four of her numerous Lekku coming over her shoulders -two on each side - and hanging over her chest. The woman had a curved-hilt lightsaber on her hilt and had the same entirely black eyes as Master Fisto. She was clearly not a Jedi but, at the same time, she was clearly not attacking us. She was accompanied by two women - one a brunette human, the other a bald orange-skinned Zabrak - in similar robes armed with electrostaffs - these guards were not Force sensitive - a glossy black protocol droid that, for whatever reason, was holding a blaster rifle, and an Echani woman in silver and black Mandalorian armor. The retinue was certainly well armed but none of them were ready to attack, merely ready to defend themselves. This was certainly proving to be a lot more intriguing than I had been expecting and it seemed like it would actually have a peaceful resolution. I mean, if a fight was going to start, wouldn't it have started by now? Testing the waters, Master Avdune and I approached, passing the clones and approaching the Nautolan woman standing just in front of an angular, swept-wing jet black starship. She was strong in the Force, but in a different way than the Jedi Masters. I wanted to know more.

"Greetings travelers. My name is Ullara Avdune, Jedi Knight, this is my Padawan, Zaliza Vyvan. Welcome to Coruscant." Master Avdune greeted warmly before bowing, I followed her lead. After a moment of showing respect, we rose, waiting to see how the intriguing red-skinned woman react. She looked at my master for all but a moment before turning to me, her alien eyes were difficult to read, but she definitely stared at me for far longer than she stared at Master Avdune, nevertheless, the woman, who couldn't have been much older than I was, turned to my master for her greeting.

"I know all about your Jedi ways Master Avdune and I know exactly where I am. I am on the Republic homeworld, the world that has been a cesspit of corruption and sin for millennia, unfortunately, I am here to ask for help." the woman spoke with a posh accent and managed to come across as polite despite the fact that she clearly hated our order. The words she said suggested that she was a Sith, but the fact that she hasn't attacked us yet and the fact that she is here for help suggests something very different. She can't be a Sith if she wanted help from the Jedi Order and the Republic. I turned to Master Avdune, hoping that my master saw this the same way I did, this clearly wasn't the enemy of the Jedi Order, this was a friend, a surprising one, but a friend nonetheless. My eyes trialed downwards and I could see that my master's finger was on the activation switch of her lightsaber. I suddenly begged to the Force itself that she would not react violently...if she activated that lightsaber, she would be the one to start a conflict with the Nautolan woman and her companions.

I glanced back up at her retinue, the two female guards were on the verge of activating their electrostaffs but they were not going to make the first move, the Mandalorian and the protocol droid had their weapons ready but down. If Master Avdune activated her lightsaber, we would have a full scale fight in a nanosecond. I silently begged my master, avoid the fight, for pragmatic reasons if nothing else.


	2. An Unexpected Ally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The cliffhanger of chapter one shall be resolved. Also, interesting enough, a random episode of Star Wars Rebels had a Force sensitive child named Ullara. I didn't know this when I named the character so that's a bit of a happy coincidence, isn't it?

Act I.

The Last Days of The Jedi Order.

Chapter II.

An Unexpected Ally.

* * *

My master kept her finger on the activation switch of her lightsaber, however, my silent pleas through the Force finally seemed to have an effect on her as I felt a flash of clarity emerge out of her cloud of suspicion. She was still prepared to strike at the red-skinned Nautolan with her black tattoos, but Master Avdune was a Jedi. She understood that if a Jedi strikes at a someone asking for help, even if that person seems to be an enemy of the Jedi Order, then the Jedi has broke her own code and defied her values. My master decided to resolve this diplomatically and I would give her thanks once we were alone again.

"Who are you and what do you need help with?" Ullara managed to return to an even and welcoming voice despite the fact that I could tell that my young master was unhappy with this Nautolan over her views on the Jedi Order. I understood where she was coming from, she was clearly a Force user, she had a lightsaber, and the colors and tattoos seemed to imply that she was a Dark Side user. All of this implied that this Nautolan was a Sith Lord, however, that didn't make sense. There were only two Sith in the galaxy - Count Dooku and his master. I found it hard to believe that this teenage alien woman was Count Dooku's master. I suppose she could be a Dark Jedi assassin like Asajj Ventress or Savage Opress, but if Count Dooku found an assassin, why would the very first mission be a suicide mission to Coruscant? And, if it was that, who is the target?

Perhaps the assassin is targeting the Jedi Council or the Chancellor and trying to get an audience with them, but Dooku knows better, a lone assassin is not going to get a sole audience with the Chancellor, an assassin with a retinue is not going to get all her guards and all her weapons into a meeting without an even greater security force in response to counter that. This mission, if it is a mission, no matter how you look at it, is a suicide mission. That only adds more evidence that this has to be genuine, as I scanned over her retinue, I sensed unease, I sensed doubt, and I sensed the retainers putting up walls as they realized I was reaching out. These people were just as suspicious about us as we were at them. They may look like Sith, but they are certainly not acting like what the Jedi have been led to believe that the Sith are. They are being civil and I think that it is only fair to be civil in return.

"My name is Phanza Attam, apprentice to Grand Duchess Voytana of Taaszon. My master represents eleven systems in the distant outer rim and the third largest military force in the galaxy. The pretender, Count Dooku, has challenged our authority and his droid armies are threatening to invade our outlying worlds. We come here for an alliance. Support us against the pretenders and their droid armies, help us defend our worlds, and we will join your war." Phanza proposed. I have never heard of Taaszon or any sort of Grand Duchy in the distant outer rim, certainly not one spanning multiple systems. I glanced over at my master but Ullara showed no sign of recognition either. Her suspicion flared up again and, to be honest, I was rather suspicious too, some of the things she said suggested that she represented a potential threat...and what did she mean when she called Dooku a pretender?

"We haven't heard of Taaszon or this Grand Duchy. What other systems do you control?" Master Avdune asked, she was digging for information, hoping to find a hint at what this faction was, what they controlled, and whether or not anything she said was legitimate. I was eager to learn more myself and I was glad that Ullara was searching for information rather than trying to stop this very unique retinue. I caught the armed protocol droid glancing at the clone troopers who were still aiming their blasters at this Force user and her companions. Somehow, the protocol droid managed to look belligerent, as if it wanted a fight. The Mandalorian was wearing a helmet masking her expression while the Zabrak and the human guards with their electrostaffs had serene expressions on their faces - but a deadly kind of serene. They were more than confident in their ability to protect their mistress.

"Taaszon is not on Republic maps, nor on separatist maps. We have kept ourselves secret for as long as possible, but, with the droids finding us, we have unveiled ourselves. We shall show you a map of the systems relevant to the separatist account. This does not include Taaszon itself." Phanza was only willing to reveal their outlying worlds to us, she was distrustful of us, however, given that my master was at very least considering attacking her with a lightsaber, I had to be honest, I didn't exactly blame Phanza. At the same time, given that Phanza was asking for help while trashing our Order, accusing our Republic of corruption, and being uncooperative with giving information, I didn't blame Master Avdune either. This seemed like it was going to turn into a conflict if I didn't do something, however, I didn't want to question my master's authority, especially considering that Phanza was openly ridiculing our Order and our way of life. I did not want to see these two women fight but I didn't know what I could do without questioning Ullara.

"Master...perhaps we should bring this to the Jedi Council." I whispered to her, doing what I could to avoid seeing these two women fight. My master nodded just barely, trying to make it so that I could see but that Phanza wouldn't see, however, I doubted that Attam missed either the whisper or the nod, she knew exactly what was going on and I wouldn't be surprised if she knew our motivations too.

"Phanza Attam...I will bring this before the Jedi Council, however, before I go, I must ask one question." Master Avdune got deadly serious for a moment and Phanza nodded with a confident smirk on her lips, the red-skinned Nautolan did not see any question phasing her "Are you a Sith?"

"Yes Jedi, a true Sith. The Grand Duchy represents the final fragment of The Sith Empire of old. We have stood in exile for three thousand years and now we must grovel before our ancient enemies to protect us from thieves who have appropriated our symbols. We are Sith, but we have nothing to do with Count Dooku or his master, in fact, they are our enemy. They are your enemy too and, as we all know, the enemy or your enemy is your friend. You and your Council remember that Master Avdune. Run along now...as for you, Padawan Vyvan, I look forward to seeing you more." My eyes opened wide and I was about to ask Phanza what she meant when Master Avdune ushered me away. At least we were going to the Jedi Temple, where we could help this mysterious woman. This woman who was a Sith but came here, to Coruscant itself, to ask us for help.

* * *

"A Sith came here for help? Master Windu asked incredulously, I knew that it was not the Jedi way to presume, but I could already tell that he was against this idea and, unfortunately for me, I felt that resonating from most of the Jedi Council. Master Avdune was putting up a legitimate case but she didn't even believe herself, she was fighting mainly for my sake - she knew that I was troubled and she knew that I did not want to fight against Phanza Attam. Ullara was doing this for me and I did appreciate it, but her heart wasn't in it, not for the right reasons anyway. I knew that I would be overstepping my boundaries once again but I felt that, if I didn't respond myself soon, I may have to see the Jedi Order condemn an innocent woman simply because she is a Sith. I understand that the Jedi and the Sith have been at war ever since the Sith were founded, but surely being a Sith in itself is not a crime?

"With all due respect Master Windu, she asked us for help and offered up an alliance. She claims to represent a series of systems unlisted on our charts." Master Avdune bounced back a little bit, mentioning help and the alliance could only help.

"How do we know if these uncharted systems even exist?" the Cerean Master Ki-Adi Mundi interjected. A flash of frustration came over me because the Council kept focusing on the wrong things but I quelled myself down - Master Yoda, who has been silently meditating this whole time, glanced at me, as if shooting a light warning, however, he left it at that. I am glad that it was Master Yoda who caught my emotional lapse rather than Master Windu, the latter, from what I've heard, is far stricter than Master Yoda, who I have first hand experience with dating back to when I was a youngling training in one of his classes. I was about ready to jump in and respond to the master with his distinctive head courtesy of two brains but Master Kenobi jumped in first.

"Our charts have been wrong before, Kamino had been missing." Obi-Wan Kenobi pointed out in holographic form - Master Kenobi was not here in person, he and Master Skywalker were preoccupied with events in the Outer Rim, much like Master Avdune and I had been - I was grateful for his input. Obi-Wan is perhaps the most qualified one here when it comes to the Sith, after all, he has faced against more of them than most of the Council and he has even briefly worked with the Dark Jedi Assassin Asajj Ventress when the two were dealing with common enemies.

"Kamino was a single planet, this is eleven systems." Mace Windu responded, he was our biggest enemy here, it seemed that he was the most belligerent against the Sith. I did not want to question a Jedi who has done as much for our Order as Master Windu, but I feel that his fixation on stopping the Sith borders on an obsession and it may even be driven by hatred. I fear even members of the Jedi Council may be falling into the clutches of the Dark Side thanks to this vile war. So many lives have been lost, so many lives will be lost before this war is over, and now, someone is asking for help, and just because she is a Sith we are seriously considering opening up another front and starting another war? Against an enemy we cannot even find because we don't know where Taaszon or any of their other systems are.

"Kamino's absence is different from uncharted space. There is something suspicious about the Kaminoans, they have demonstrated untrustworthy behavior and secrecy recently. I fear Kamino was deliberately hidden from us while these Sith are merely hiding out on the fringes of the galaxy." Master Shaak Ti weighed in her opinion, this was yet another tangent. I knew this is important and from what I know about Kamino's discovery by Master Kenobi, the situation has always been hazy, clarity was needed with Kamino, but right now, there is a Nautolan woman asking for our help in the face of a separatist invasion and I feel the fact that she is a Sith is irrelevant. It is the duty of the Jedi Order to help her and, only by doing so, can we ever hope to reconcile our differences and bring Phanza, as well as others, back to the Light Side of the Force. That could be it, that could be an angle that will get the Jedi Council to help Attam and her people.

"With all due respect Masters," I made my move and began talking in front of the Council, I knew that Master Avdune and even some of the Councilors were glaring at me but it's too late now, I've committed to this "There is a civilization of Force users out there that is not our enemy, not right now anyway, they even want an alliance. I feel like rejecting their alliance and leaving them to the separatists can only lead to two outcomes. One: the droid armies win and gain eleven new systems that we can't even find, or two: the Sith defeat the droid armies and suddenly we have two groups of Sith with a vendetta against us. You have always told me to trust in my instincts, and my instincts tell me that refusing to help will only lead to more pain and suffering. Please Masters, look past the fact that they are Sith and realize that there are people who need our help and, as Jedi, it is our duty to help them." I made my speech before turning my eyes down, gazing at the floor and meekly retreating to my spot next to Master Avdune, I did not dare anticipate their reactions.

I felt that something was about to flare up and that the Jedi Council Chamber was about to erupt into an argument but all of that vanished in a moment. I looked up to see Master Yoda had simply raised a hand and that had been enough to bring order to the room. Master Yoda has lived for centuries and his wisdom is legendary. His word carries weight even among his fellow Jedi Councilors.

"Right, Padawan Vyvan is. A cry for help, refuse, we cannot." Yoda managed to sway enough of the Council that, when they then went to a vote about it, the majority of Masters decided to help Phanza Attam. I was excited even if I tried to keep it muted but Master Yoda sensed it nonetheless and stood up, walking over to me "Over, this is not. A Republic matter, this is. Meet with the Chancellor, you must."

I thought getting this passed the Jed Council was going to be the hard part, but now, now we had to deal with a politician. Oh well, at least Chancellor Palpatine won't be as concerned with the Sith as the Jedi Council is.

* * *

"Phanza Attam." Master Avdune bowed slightly and I followed her lead. Master Yoda, Master Windu, Master Fisto, and Master Kolar were already on route to the Chancellor's office, they were willing to cooperate with these Sith, but they were not willing to trust them. I suppose that is the best that I can hope for, even if I believe that the Jedi should not be mistrustful "The Jedi Council has agreed to allow you to meet with Chancellor Palpatine to discuss this alliance. The Clones will stand down and we shall escort you there, but your retainers are to stay with your ship."

"I tire of these pointless restrictions Jedi - if we were going to kill you, we would have already. But we shall humor you." Phanza couldn't roll her eyes due to their alien nature, but I could practically feel the gesture just before she turned around, she faced the protocol droid, the Mandalorian, and finally her two guards, first the Zabrak and then the human "HK-107, Ceyla, Ruumshi, Avoine. Stay with the _Ultimate_. I will return shortly.

We grabbed Phanza by either arm and ushered her into an open top speeder, she seemed more bemused than anything else. That unsettled me, I do admit. Phanza clearly wielded an awesome power, she was entirely confident that she could kill both of us easily if she needed to. I wanted to chalk that all up to the usual Dark Side arrogance but, somehow, I was having trouble convincing myself that it was all so simple. We rode to the Senate building as Phanza Attam sat between us, perfectly calm and serene while Master Avdune and I were both worried and afraid. Fear is the path to the Dark Side while serenity is a staple of the Jedi Code, yet right now, it seems like things were flipped. Perhaps our fear of the Sith was undermining our very own ideology. I don't know if she sensed my doubts about the Jedi Order or what, but in the corner of my eye I could see Phanza Attam smirking and that only filled me with more fear. She seemed more interested in me than she was in my Master and that could only mean something terrible.

The speeder landed in front of the Senate building and we got the Nautolan Sith to her feet, guiding her inside while we were flanked by Senate guards - no one was sparing any chances when it came to a Sith, good intentions or not. The Senate guards surrounded us and led us directly to Palpatine's office, practically handing us over to the Jedi Councilors inside. Master Avdune and I bowed before the Chancellor, paying our respects to the elderly leader of the Republic, even if he had taken more power and served for longer than any Chancellor in history. I shook my own opinions off, this meeting was not about the Chancellor's increasingly dictatorial tendencies, this meeting was about the red-skinned Nautolan between us.

We watched her every move, ready to pounce as she rose both her arms, however, she was not raising them to attack. Phanza Attam lowered her hood, revealing more of her Lekku covered in those sharp, angular black tattoos. Kit Fisto seemingly disproved of this, I could see that in his normally jovial expression, however, the Jedi Master did not vocalize his distaste for his fellow Nautolan. Phanza's eyes opened wide before narrowing slightly as she looked at Chancellor Palpatine, seemingly taken aback, though none of us knew why. When I looked back, I could swear that Palpatine narrowed his eyes too, though only for a moment. I tried to see what she had seen or sense it but I could not see anything, it was all clouded by the Dark Side. I had to assume that it was because of Phanza Attam, after all, she was the only Dark Side user here, but I knew I didn't feel this earlier.

"Chancellor Palpatine, my name is Phanza Attam," the Sith introduced herself politely and bowed before our Chancellor, any hint of her initial reaction was gone and most people wouldn't have noticed a thing, but I know what I saw and the list of questions I have for Attam is only growing "I represent the Grand Duchy of Taaszon, a state beyond the outer rim ruled by my master, Grand Duchess Voytana. We control eleven populated systems and four worlds spread across two of our systems are in danger of a separatist assault. We have a capable military force, both on the ground and above, but Count Dooku has endless swarms of droids. I believe that his intention is to use our uncharted systems as a fall back point should contested worlds like your Felucia and Saleucami fall. Should our worlds fall, the separatists will be able to keep the war going and you wouldn't even know where they're attacking you from."

"Well Lady Attam, I am sorry to hear that the separatists are targeting you. These traitors to the Republic have terrorized the Galaxy for far too long." Chancellor Palpatine seemed sincere, but something was striking me as off "However, you must understand that you are Sith and the Senate will never vote to help the Sith. I know that you have nothing to do with Count Dooku, but there are thousands of Senators and I fear that not nearly enough of them will be able to make that distinction, especially since we do not even know where these battles would be taking place."

"Perhaps revealing your systems would help. All of them." Master Windu proposed, he tried to come off as being helpful, but somehow, I think that he was more concerned with finding where Phanza's Sith faction is than finding out where to send Republic forces to help. I fear that Mace Windu, despite the wishes of the majority of the Jedi Council, still wants to destroy Attam and her fellow Sith. I believe Phanza addressed them as the true Sith.

"I will reveal the four relevant systems only if it will get me the help I need." Phanza was being stubborn, she did not want the Republic knowing about all of Taaszon's systems, though, I did have one question - is she hiding the information from the Jedi Council or from the Chancellor? The Jedi Council has already decided to help her despite Master Windu and Master Mundi's opposition while the Chancellor is at least saying that he is sympathetic to her cause.

"I apologize, my Lady, but I do not think that being secretive is going to change the minds of the Senate." Palpatine argued, now getting more upset, something that even Master Yoda and Master Windu took note of, getting upset was not in the Chancellor's character. In fact, part of why the Jedi Council is weary of him is because the Chancellor acts like an impossibly nice, naive old man while seizing more power. Nevertheless, the Jedi Council is not weary enough to actually resist the Chancellor because we stand for the Republic - or we say we do anyway, as I have already made clear, I find that the priorities of the Jedi are very inconsistent and I feel that even the Jedi Council is divided over our purpose - and that unwillingness to resist is why we find ourselves here. Depending on the wheels of politics while leaving a potential enemy to be ravaged. Sure Taaszon is a Sith state, but, at least in this case, they are innocent. Even the Sith do not deserve to be consumed by the horrors of war, especially not by another, more dangerous faction of Sith.

"Really? Well what will change the minds of the _Senate?_ " Phanza Attam asked, emphasizing Senate. Suddenly, I got the feeling that Chancellor Palpatine and our Sith Nautolan were having a very different conversation than the one we were hearing, a conversation that only the two of them would understand. I didn't like this, but I'm not sure whose secrecy was more settling, that of the woman who should be our enemy or the secrecy of the man who should be our ally and our leader. I was uncomfortable around the Chancellor, I believe that there is more to him that we realize and I believe that fact has chilling repercussions for the Republic and for what will happen to us when this war is finally over. I do not want the Clone Wars to end merely for the Jedi Order and the Chancellor to find themselves on opposite sides fighting for the fate of the Republic. The end of the Clone Wars is supposed to bring peace and prosperity back to the galaxy, I do not want to see war and suffering continue, but, between intrigues within the Republic and now the arrival of the Sith, who knows what will happen next?

"Reveal the four planets that the separatists seek to invade to me now and how many troops you have on those planets ready to fight. Give us something to work with and I promise you that the result will be better than if you ask us to blindly join an alliance and open up another front on a war that has already stretched the Grand Army of the Republic and our Jedi friends so thin." Chancellor Palpatine pleaded, now, despite my paranoia, I had to admit, his plea was reasonable. One of his duties as Chancellor is that he is nominally the Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, therefore, as a military leader, it only makes sense that he understands the military capabilities of his potential allies. Phanza Attam narrowed her eyes even further but I could tel that she was legitimately contemplating this, after all, she didn't exactly have much choice. For a Sith to come to Coruscant, the situation must be pretty desperate.

"Fine." Phanza Attam agreed and the Chancellor activated a projection of the galaxy map, watching eagerly as Phanza Attam circled around the map, looking for the coordinates. She stopped in one spot, far beyond Republic space. She pulled out her own holoprojector and brought up a partial map. Just as she said, this added two systems to our map, containing four populated worlds: two planets in one system and, in the other, a planet and a moon "First, the Imperius system. The relevant worlds here are Imperius Prime, a planet of jungles, volcanoes, and cities, and Kallig, a gas giant with floating cities and mining stations. Then we move on to the New Ziost System. New Ziost is the most populated of these planets with large metropolises built in the valleys between the frigid mountains. Its largest moon, Acina, is covered with blood red dunes but rich settlements along the oases are too important to be lost. We have twelve Margraviate-class Super Dreadnoughts - along with support craft - to defend these systems, seven of them protecting New Ziost and Acina, three will protect Imperius Prime, leaving only two to protect Kallig. Our Super Dreadnoughts our equivalent to your Venator-class star destroyers."

Phanza Attam clearly knew more about us than we did about her, however, she was at least finally giving us answers. New Ziost was the most important world in these outlying systems and thus it was the most protected, Acina was safe as a result of that, however, in defending New Ziost and Acina properly, they have left Kallig and Imperius Prime vulnerable. It seems to be that our starships should concentrate on Kallig - the floating targets on the planet means that, if the separatists get through, they only have to occupy a few places rather than a whole surface - while our ground forces should concentrate on Imperius Prime, which has a surface to defend, one that sounds fairly similar to Felucia, where Master Avdune and I just served...

"Thank you for your honesty Lady Attam, as a show of trust, I will ensure we aid your world. I will push through an emergency resolution and use this opportunity to approve sending a clone battalion to support your efforts. This way, you won't have to worry about convincing the entire Senate to support your cause." The Chancellor announced, I suppose I should have been happy, we were going to help a potential friend who was in need, but the fact that the Chancellor was using this as an opportunity to grab more power was not good. I know that the Chancellor has giving his word to surrender these powers at the end of this war, but how can we trust him to give up any power if he constantly grabs more? I saw the Chancellor study these systems that Phanza added to his map very close as the Sith and my fellow Jedi left his office. Reluctantly, I turned away and joined them.

"Master Avdune," Mace Windu began addressing my master quietly as we made our way out of the Senate building "You and your Padawan discovered this Sith and have the most experience with her. I want you two and the 1204th Clone Battalion to lead the strike force we send to help the Grand Duchy. Repel the separatists and secure and alliance but do not trust her or any of the other Sith. I feel that there is more going on than she is telling is."

With that, our leave came to an end before it really began and we were off to fight a war once again, but now, at least we were doing what Jedi should be doing - defending a world from blatant aggression rather than besieging one like we had been on Felucia. The fact that these worlds belonged to the Sith should not change our duties. Phanza Attam and her faction do not have to be our enemies.

* * *

"Tell me Zaliza, when you think of these Sith, what do you feel?" Master Avdune asked me as we watched Phanza Attam enter her ship, the red-skinned tattooed Nautolan and her companions launched the _Ultimate_ and the craft left Coruscant. On the speeder ride here Phanza was suddenly more explanatory about her forces, she explained that her ship, the _Ultimate_ was a Ravager-class Sith Interceptor, these elite ships were given to the Grand Duchy's Sith as they emerged as independent operatives. This revealed a lot, first of all, it revealed that this faction of Sith, unlike the pretenders, as Phanza called them, did not follow the rule of two, second of all, it revealed that the Grand Duchy had very advanced starship building systems - something made pretty clear by the twelve Super Dreadnoughts as well. Phanza mentioned earlier that her faction was the third largest military in the galaxy, behind only the Republic and the separatists. This meant that her faction was more powerful than the Black Sun, the Hutt Cartel, even the Mandalorians. Perhaps they were not defenseless, but even in being the third biggest military in the galaxy that didn't mean they were anywhere near the level of the Republic or the separatists. An army of soldiers raised from the population of a relatively small number of fringe systems, no matter now militarized, does not equal armies of countless clones or battle droids. They may be ready for a fight, but this is not a fight that they have any hope of winning alone - they need our help.

"I feel compassion master, these are people who need our help. I am well aware that this Grand Duchy is descended from an Empire that waged war against the Republic for centuries eons ago, but now, they are in need of help and we must be there for them. I feel hopeful, hope that this alliance can lead to a dialogue that can bring peace between the Jedi and Sith once and for all, paving the way for reconciliation. And I sense that they are more brave than prideful. Phanza swallowed her pride and had the bravery to face down Jedi and clones alike to get the help she needed." I told Master Avdune, I was being entirely truthful, I trusted Phanza Attam and I trusted her Grand Duchy.

"I am proud of you, my Padawan. Today you have done more for the Jedi way than I have in a very long time. I believe there are somethings you can teach me just as I taught you." Master Avdune smiled at me, her hands on my shoulders. My master is not a perfect woman, perhaps the Clone Wars forced her into the role of training a Padawan before she was ready, but right now, I would not want any other master. Ullara may not see it, but I can only do what I think is right for the Jedi because of the lessons that I learned from her, from Master Yoda, and from all the other Jedi. I hope that this is the beginning of a new chapter, that, from here forward, Master Avdune and I will have a greater understanding of each other. I never want to be as conflicted as I was after Felucia again but, if I ever am, I wanted Master Avdune to be there for me, I want her to finally be able to give me the help I need as a Padawan growing up in such a turbulent time.

* * *

I was laying on my side, once again on my cot aboard the _Sage,_ trying to sleep. I was filled with anticipation, curiosity, and dread - I wanted to finally see this Sith Grand Duchy hiding deep in the Outer Rim, I wanted to learn everything I could about it, but, I was scared that trying to learn and try to dig up information would only give me answers I didn't want. I was scared that I would peel away all that Phanza appears to be and find nothing but a hateful plot against the Jedi. I put my faith in Phanza, what if she was lying about the true Sith and all of this was just some plot by Count Dooku? Making up four worlds out of thin air was not necessarily beyond the Count, after all, we can at very least suspect him of deleting Kamino from the Jedi Archives and playing a role in the Battle of Naboo long before becoming the leader of the separatist alliance. Dooku is resourceful and he is intelligent, we can say that he is less ruthless than other Sith - though even then, I'd imagine most of that is the benefit of the doubt from Masters who knew Dooku as a Jedi - but time and time again our understanding of the Sith has been proven wrong. We assumed that they were extinct before Naboo happened and now, we've found that the ancient Sith never really died.

" _The Chancellor is deceiving you."_ A voice rung in my head. My eyes flew open and practically ripped apart my room as I searched for a presence, I was panicking. This was not the Jedi way. I calmed myself down and reached out with the Force, no one was here, but a presence was commuting with me through the Force. I strained myself by trying to track it but I couldn't find a location, however, I could find a place. I saw a red-skinned Nautolan meditating at the foot of a lavish bed aboard a Ravager-class Sith Interceptor. Her black and purple robes tightly wound across her body. I was far too focused on keeping Master Avdune and Phanza from killing each other on Coruscant to really take note of this, but the Nautolan was captivating. I had to admit that I thought that, if I ever felt feelings for anyone, it would be a Zeltron boy around my age, probably another Jedi, instead, I could not deny my attraction to a female Nautolan Sith of all things. I shunned these feelings and pushed them away, Jedi are above attachments as, in our way of life, attachments can only lead to pain and suffering.

"You lie." I insisted and Phanza only laughed. I didn't entirely trust my own words, I knew that I had reasons to be suspicious with the Chancellor and I felt that the Jedi Council needs to take more care around him. I don't know if Chancellor Palpatine is a bad man, on one hand, I don't think he is, but, on the other, I don't see a good person pursuing power in the same way, but I think that we need to know more about him. A man is coming closer to bringing the Republic under autocratic rule than the Sith ever did and we are idly standing by. I do not think that this is right.

" _No, you are the liar here. You are paranoid about your very own Chancellor and our allegiance to the Republic makes you scared to admit it. You must act Zaliza, strike down the Chancellor while there is still a Senate to protect."_ I gasped, Phanza Attam was trying to turn me over, that must be why her eyes rested on me when she first arrived on Coruscant. Phanza Attam has already pegged me as her future apprentice. I would not turn against the Jedi, I shall stand with the Jedi Order and the Republic regardless of my trust for Phanza. Trust that she is testing by trying to turn me over to the Dark Side.

"If that is true, then the Jedi Council will deal with it, not me. It is not my place." I retorted, my mind does not allow me to conclusively deny that Chancellor Palpatine is more than he appears to be, but that is not my place. The Jedi Council will decide whether or not the Chancellor is suspicious and they will act appropriately based on their decision. There is nothing to fear from an old politician, regardless of how power hungry, shrewd, and secretive he may be.

" _Ah...but the Jedi Council is deceiving you too."_ Phanza Attam laughed like a harpy as she told me terrible lies about the people who should be my closest allies. I cannot believe that I am legitimately listening to a Sith spread lies and deceptions about my Chancellor and my Council, a council which includes Master Yoda, the man I trained under as a youngling.

"The Jedi Council is not deceiving anyone. You are spreading terrible lies to spread dissent. I plead for you to stop Lady Attam, please stop this. Continuing on this path will only turn the other Jedi against you. I have fought hard to get the Jedi to help you, harder than you know." It was true, I really did and I didn't want her to throw this all away because I wanted to believe that Phanza really was a good person in need of help that just so happened to be a Sith.

" _You are perceptive. But know this - horrifying truths are far better at spreading dissent than unbelievable lies."_ With that final, ominous warning, Phanza Attam left my dreams, allowing me to peacefully rest...in theory. In truth, her words left me in thought and fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, just to clarify, when text is in italics, that's Phanza Attam communicating with Zaliza Vyvan through the Force, this will be explained more early in act two.


	3. In Defense of The Sith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, starting with this part of the story, we're gonna start seeing a lot more original planets and factions. I'm going to try and explain them bit by bit, so, even if it seems like you know everything about a faction, keep in mind, I'm only just getting started.

Act I.

The Last Days of The Jedi Order.

Chapter III.

In The Defense of The Sith.

* * *

I felt conflicted.

I knew that I should have told Master Avdune about Phanza trying to corrupt me through the Force. I was well aware that this was clearly an attempt to turn me over to the Dark Side as a member of the Sith. I felt uncomfortable and betrayed that I put so much time into getting Master Avdune and the Jedi Council to see the Grand Duchy of Taaszon as a state in need rather than a Sith state only for their representative to spit in the face of my trust by immediately doing what all Sith do. At the same time, I knew that revealing this would only lead to more conflict. Master Avdune, out of well-intended concern for my, would report this incident to the Jedi Council and the Chancellor and this whole alliance would be torn up as a result, all because of Phanza's own selfish actions. I suppose that she would deserve it too, but I did not think that her actions condemned her entire people. Perhaps all of these Sith from Taaszon really were like her, but no one deserves to be massacred by hordes of battle droids - not to mention the fact that, as Phanza pointed out, the last thing we needed was for the separatists to discover bases beyond known space - we do know where the two systems Phanza revealed are, but we don't know how much the separatists know. Ultimately, I still wanted to help both for moral and pragmatic reasons, therefore, I decided that I couldn't tell Master Avdune or anyone else about Phanza trying to tempt me to the Dark Side. I tried not to think of her lies about the Chancellor and the Jedi Council deceiving me, after all, they were just lies. They had to be.

"Are you alright Commander?" Warlock asked as I almost literally ran into him in one of the hallways of the _Sage._ I was walking around aimlessly, not wanting to spend any more time in my quarters than I had to after being harassed by a Sith there. I came to my senses as I realized that I had gotten to the clones' quarters, standing in the corridor separating their rooms from the mess hall. Venator-class star destroyers were massive, triangular craft with a long hanger section along the central length. I wondered if anyone ever explored the full interior of a ship like this. I don't think that the Jedi have, in fact, I don't think we've ever fully investigated the situation with the Clone Army to begin with, effectively, we got an army of millions of adult clones, star destroyers, gunships, tanks, and weapons of all levels of warfare out of thin air and, along with them, a new planet joined the Republic. The fact that the Clone Wars began the moment the clones were deployed in battle doesn't help, we never got the chance to look back and analyze all of this. I trust Commander Warlock and his squadron with my life, but they age twice as fast as a regular human would and I know that the math simply does not add up, the Clones, the fleets, all of it came long before there was any actual need for them and the Jedi allegedly responsible is dead. These men are perfect companions for the Jedi, but their origins are highly dubious. The fact that Chancellor Palpatine gave himself the power to commission an army just before the Grand Army of the Republic arrived suggested he knew more about it than he let on, so perhaps he was less than truthful with us, but Phanza implied a greater deception, making her statement a half-truth at best.

"Yes Commander, my apologies, I was distracted." I admitted meekly. I was lost in my own head over the messages Phanza sent me, I was playing exactly into her hands. Phanza Attam was a smart woman and she knew that I was not going to turn to the Dark Side easily, however, by telling me these lies, she has made me paranoid of my own allies, laying the seeds for a barrier between myself and the people I should hold closest to me - my fellow Jedi and our allies in the Republic. I was conscious of what she was doing but I was made even more miserable by the fact that I didn't have a way of fighting that without potentially leaving eleven systems at the mercy of the separatists. I sighed, Phanza may have her schemes but for now it is best to keep my eyes on the true enemy - Count Dooku, General Grievous, and their separatist droid armies - rather than trying to create a new one in the form of Taaszon.

"Very well Commander Vyvan. General Avdune has requested your presence on the bridge." The purple clad clone trooper revealed, his helmet in his arm, revealing his bald head and the lightning bolt tattoos on his temples, mirroring their placement on the helmet. We walked together to the lifts. I could talk to Commander Warlock without worrying about ancient feuds between Jedi and Sith, he knows that the separatists are our enemies, Taaszon is at least an ally temporarily, and that the Republic is the home we shall defend to the last man, beyond that, the rest was merely interesting facts. Warlock, just like the other clones, was designed to think of battles first and foremost, he is bred to be preoccupied with whether someone is a friend or a foe first and foremost, the rest is secondary to that. The Force was something no clone would ever experience and they had to be glad that almost all Force users were on our side and, because of that, they don't know much about the Jedi and the Sith other than the former is their ally and that the latter is our eternal enemy.

I couldn't imagine being a being bred for warfare, I never wanted these horrors to become mundane. Truth be told, as much as I wanted to help the people of Taaszon, in any other scenario I would have rather been in my quarters on Coruscant than heading into battle. The fact that we were protecting eleven systems from the scourge of the Clone Wars and potentially reconciling with an ancient enemy kept me going even though I knew that Imperius Prime was just going to be another Felucia. I sighed, it was going to be tough but we got through Felucia and we'll get through this. I turned to Commander Warlock, with men like him at my side, I knew that I would survive Imperius Prime and that we would save this world. But what would happen if the clones and I had to depend on their world to save us? We were willing to put aside our feud with the Sith to save them but would the Sith do the same for us?

"Master Avdune," I bowed while Commander Warlock saluted her, we gathered around the holoprojector at the rear of the bridge. I glanced over down the cockpit to see the light of stars and planets distorted into the blue patterns of hyperspace. We were still on route to Imperius Prime but I suspected I was here because we were about to reach the planet. My suspicions were revealed to be correct when Master Avdune summoned a projection of the planet. The world was a very active one with geothermal activity resulting in volcanic activity all over the surface, bringing warmth. Rivers of lava were surrounded with jungles or cities, providing warmth and power to an otherwise frigid world. Ice, jungles, and lava - Imperius Prime seemed to be a bizarre world but in a galaxy of diverse and exotic worlds, it didn't stick out too much. The world was surrounded by a series of rings, this gave an element of depth to the three Margraviate-class Super Dreadnoughts and their support ships protecting the world.

"The _Sage,_ the _Tython,_ and the _Coruscant Temple_ will join the space battle over the gas giant Kallig, but before then, they will drop us off over Imperius Prime. We shall take gunships down to the surface and join the Taaszon forces against the separatists. Their fleet should repel the separatist ships over the world but, even if they don't, we have the cover of the rings. Separated from their air support and facing both our clones and the Sith forces, the droids should be pretty straightforward to eliminate." Master Avdune explained, it did indeed seem like it was going to be an easy victory, easier that Felucia perhaps, however, the fact that the Sith, a faction that has always been known for arrogance, does not believe that it can defeat these droids alone. That makes me weary, there has to be something that we're not seeing, the separatists must have greater numbers that we're anticipating for the Grand Duchy of Taaszon to call for aid. I turned away from the holoprojection and turned towards the cockpit window. My instincts told me there was something more to this and I wanted to see the space battle over Imperius Prime with my own eyes rather than judging based on estimations. Perhaps this invasion represented a greater Sith feud rather than just a straightforward invasion. I didn't know, but there was something going on here that we weren't privy to yet.

We emerged out of hyperspace to find three black triangular Margraviate-class Super Dreadnoughts with a hanger in the center - the split design made the whole craft appear like a much larger version of a Jedi Interceptor, but there was more than a passing resemblance to our Venator-class star destroyers as well - I wanted to assume that this was coincidental but that seemed like quite a bit of a coincidence. In any case, these Super Dreadnoughts were supported by smaller triangular ships called Despotate-class Destroyers, with five destroyers for every Super Dreadnought. This was a rather impressive fleet but, much like I had predicted, the separatist fleet was impressive too. I counted two Providence-class Dreadnoughts, six Munificent-class frigates, and four Lucrehulk-class battle stations. This was far more than we were expecting - we had been expecting perhaps three Munificent-class ships and a couple of Lucrehulk stations, but this was indeed more than a regular invasion fleet. Count Dooku...or perhaps his mysterious Sith master, had been playing on massacring the so-called true Sith for a long, long time before this. Something tells me that these Sith were a loose end that had to be taken care of before a massive separatist strike to end the stalemate of the war. Now, more than ever, we had to ensure a Sith victory, if for no other reason than to spoil separatist plans against us.

"Phanza has not been entirely honest with us." Master Avdune said, the Mirialan narrowing her green eyes ever so slightly. I raised an eyebrow at her, asking a silent question. If Ullara was referring to the greater separatist numbers, then I can't blame Phanza Attam for that, this war would have gone a lot more smoothly for us if we could predict separatist numbers in advance. However, the answer began clear when the Sith fleet unleashed its arsenal. Purple laser blasts filled the skies as the Super Dreadnoughts opened fire, next, they opened their hangers. The main hanger at the center and the two smaller hangers on either side unleashed an armada of ships. Lead by Ravager-class Sith Interceptors came Bisector-class Starfighters, Devastator-class Super Starfighters and Terminator-class Bombers. Between the barrage of purple laser, the armada of ships, and the cover provided by the planetary rings, the Sith fleet clearly had the advantage. This was a show of force on their part as much as it was on the separatists. Nevertheless, the separatists had more ships and thus, once the shock of how powerful these Super Dreadnoughts were wore off, the separatist fleet fought back. Our fleet was not needed here, they would continue on to Kallig with the knowledge that the Venator-class ships were not equivalent to these Sith ships as Phanza had assured us, meanwhile, we would go to the surface to see how the Sith forces fare on land. The Grand Duchy of Taaszon did not have the numbers to face the Republic or the separatists, but they had deadly technology to narrow the odds and they were using this war as an opportunity to show that off to the galaxy. Master Avdune was right, Phanza was not entirely honest with us.

"No, she has not." I admitted, now increasingly skeptical about the trust I put into the Nautolan who has called in Republic resources for a fight at the edge of the galaxy, a fight that we question if they even needed help with. This came after the Nautolan had already tried to tempt me to the Dark Side. I had a bad feeling about this...this all seemed like an elaborate ruse to mark the return of the true Sith.

* * *

The situation on the ground was hellish. Snow fell on our gunships from above while the heat from the lava below scorched their underbellies. The heat powered the planet's cities and allowed for the jungles to exist, but it also produced a hellish theater of warfare. The jungles eventually gave way to reveal a battlefield, all the trees and plants had been blasted away by the droids and the Sith forces fighting it out. Our help would end the stalemate...eventually, but, in doing so, we would only cause more damage and scar more of this once beautiful jungle on a planet that is otherwise frigid snow and ice juxtaposed with deadly hot lava. The LAAT gunship touched down and our AT-TE walkers joined the tanks of Taaszon. Ullara activated her green lightsaber and both of my purple blades sprung into life as we leaped into battle, joining the various red, purple, orange, and yellow blades of the Sith.

Phanza Attam was leading the battle, launching red Force lightning from her fingertips while blocking lasers with her curved-hilt red lightsaber with its black core. The exotic weapon matched her features as she fought ferociously, the apprentice of this Grand Duchess Voytana herself - I wondered how much Phanza knew of her master's intentions, I knew that it was our duty as Jedi for Master Avdune and I to learn as much as possible about this faction. Thus far, all that we have learned presents them as far more of a threat than Phanza implied, this third strongest faction in the galaxy was not nearly as behind us as we had been expecting. Their population was clearly their only limiting factor, something confirmed even more as one of their Ballista-class Heavy Battle Tanks exploded the droid's battle lines. Phanza Attam took this opportunity to order an attack and Master Avdune ordered us and the clones to follow her. Purple and blue lasers on one side were exchanged with red lasers from the other side before lightsabers arrived to turn the tide.

I found myself fighting alongside Ruumshi, the orange-skinned Zabrak guard with her electrostaff, as we tore into the separatist lines. I swept the feet off of a Super Battle Droid before smashing it with a Force-amplified kick to the head. I then came around and swung the lower blade of my weapon across a number of B1 Battle Droids, allowing me to come face-to-face with another B2. I was about to rip the Super Battle Droid apart when I saw it get electrocuted. The droid fell over, revealing Ruumshi and her weapon. The Zabrak did indeed fight well and I suspected that, if she had the Force, she would fight with a double-bladed lightsaber just like I did. Shame that being born outside of known space has made her a victim of the Sith.

The two of us turned our attention to one of the last remaining AAT separatist tanks - our walkers and the Sith tanks had done a good job at thinning their numbers but this one was cowardly, hiding behind the wreckage of the others that had been in the first line.

"I got you covered Commander! Take them down!" Warden yelled as he sprayed the droids in the area down with his rotary cannon. This gave Ruumshi and I the opportunity to take down the tank. I sliced through the hover floor of the tank with one of my purple blades before disarming the droid tank with the other blade. I sliced its barrel in half and left it immobile with two moves, allowing Ruumshi to force open the top hatch and electrocute the droids inside. The AAT was done, but there were many, many more separatists to deal with. Ruumshi pounced at the droids from up above and I jumped over the wreckage we created to join her. Spinning my saberstaff as I landed to decapitate a number of B1 battle droids. Warden body-slammed a droid before throwing his overheating rotary cannon at the next, fighting with dual pistols while waiting for his primary weapon to cool back down. Fortunately for him, the all too familiar arc of a number of droid poppers signaled the arrival of Wishlist and the others. Wishlist ran over to Warden and handed him a can of coolant spray that he decided to carry into battle simply because he could while Warlock, Williams, Winch, and Witchcraft covered him, using the tank as cover. They advanced as a squadron of Sith soldiers joined them in using the tank wreckage as cover - even the clone troopers were wary around these Sith.

The droids responded by calling in their heavier units - droidekas and crab droids joined the battle - they were growing desperate. The droids knew that they were separated from their starships and, by now, were outnumbered. Battle droids are cheap and individually useless, the whole point of these droids is to overwhelm us with great numbers. B1s were to be the mass produced cannon fodder while B2s, destroyer droids, and commando droids were the real hard hitting units of the separatist army. These heavier units added depth to the conflict, but they would not change the fate of this battle.

Wishlist threw two flares into the crowd of droids, distracting them. This cleared the way for Warden to provide covering fire which in turn allowed for Winch and Williams to strike the crab droids from above where their armor was weakest, meanwhile, Wishlist and Warlock got to work on the droids. Wishlist handed his Commander a droid popper and they each gently rolled the EMP grenades into the droideka's shields, allowing them to be electrocuted. Winch was about to scale the final crab droid and take it down when Witchcraft sniped it dead. The clones were a loyal squadron and they did their job like no other, I was proud to serve alongside them, even if the reality of war means that any of us can die at any moment.

"Reinforcements incoming!" Witchcraft warned as another group of AAT hover tanks crossed a stream of lava. The lava had the side-effect of super-heating the metal of the droid tanks. The droids knew that there was no retreat and it seems that there is a tactical droid here ordering them to inflict as many casualties as possible no matter the cost as those tanks would never be usable again, however, due to being literally red hot from hovering over the lava, we would not be able to scale them as we had previously. The way I saw it, we had two options - the first was to hope that we still had enough tank shells or grenades left over from the infantry battle to take them out from a distance or wait them out until the heat burns through them. I came out of cover and blocked as many lasers as possible with my double-bladed lightsaber to buy us as much time as possible, however, in the corner of my eye, I could see that Phanza marched out of cover as well. I watched the Sith as well as I could while still deflecting the lasers.

The red-skinned, black-tattooed Nautolan raised a single hand once again and unleashed that red Force lightning. This time, however, the effect was far, far more spectacular. The first tank she hit was electrocuted and it shorted out, but that wasn't the end - she chained her lightning from tank to tank until all of the separatist reinforcement tanks were shorted out and done for. One in move, she had done the impossible. I didn't know whether I should be awed or terrified but I didn't exactly have the chance to contemplate it as we charged at the separatist infantry. I rose a hand as I was running and Force pushed a number of B1 battle droids back into the lava, there they were melted down by extended exposure to the heat. Jedi and Sith alike deflected bolts, struck with the Force, and cut down droids, clones and Sith infantry alike blasted their ranks to pieces, and, together, our combined forces repelled the suicidal droid attack.I took a deep breath before sitting back and pulling my knees close to my chest, trying to ignore the death all around me and trying to block out the presence of so many Dark Side users near me - yes they needed help and I wanted to help them, but, to a Jedi, their presence was downright toxic in the Force if they weren't concealing their power. I felt vulnerable to temptation, seduction, and calls for violence. Anxiety and fear ate away at my Jedi calmness and serenity. I was on the side of Phanza and her Sith, but she and her allies were making it harder and harder to support her...perhaps Master Avdune had been right all along.

* * *

"I have found three distinct factions within the Sith infantry itself. The first faction being conscripts, mainly humans but some aliens too, these troops where purple and black armor fairly similar to our clone troopers - an aside, but i think that the similarities in the armor and in the starships suggest that the Sith must have spies within our military industrial complex...perhaps a talk with the Kaminoans is in order. Anyway, the second faction is made up of the Chiss infantry. These blue-skinned, red-eyed aliens form more than a third of the population of the Grand Duchy of Taaszon as a whole and receive some special privileges, one being maintaining their own army. These Chiss units wear white armor with black and purple as secondary colors, additionally, their helmets are open faced. The final faction consists of Mandalorians. These Mandalorians have no stake in the civil war, they had been here in Taaszon for centuries. Their armor varies quite a bit but silver, blue, and red seem to be the most common colors. The Sith infantry is often supported by heavy droids but it seems that the Mandalorians and the Chiss both have a distaste for droids." Master Avdune reported to the Jedi Council, we had given all the information we had, starting with the Sith itself before moving on to their starships and other vehicles before finally ending up on the infantry. I remained silent, having reported all my observations to Ullara beforehand - I've done enough speaking before the Jedi Council lately to last a lifetime...with my social skills, once is already too much.

"Thank you Master Avdune, the more we know about these Sith, the less likely they are to catch us by surprise." Master Windu replied, his mind was still focused on fighting the Sith. In my silence, I had been being quite observant, Master Yoda seemed to disapprove of how belligerent Master Windu was being but the elder Jedi did not object, in fact, he did not say anything. I did not believe that Master Yoda would deceive me and I wish that I could say the same thing about Master Windu. In any case, I would not let one man ruin my view on the entire Jedi Council, especially not because of the insistence of a single Sith. Phanza Attam wants me to distrust the Jedi Council and by even thinking about this, I'm letting her win...unfortunately, I can't quite shake those thoughts.

"Have anything to say, do you Padawan?" Master Yoda finally asked me, curious as to me opinion. Once again, the part of me that was loyal to the Jedi Order wanted to reveal that Phanza Attam had tried to tempt me to the Dark Side, part of me wanted to mention that I was unsettled by all the Dark Side energy here, and part of me did think that these Sith were downright evil and perhaps more dangerous than those supporting the separatists. I didn't do it though, I did not want to see the Jedi Order descend on these worlds to purge the Sith who asked us for help - they were not good people, that much was clear, however, the Jedi will be going down a dark path themselves if we open up another theater of war, one not in defense of the Republic but against a state whose only crime was being Sith. I suppose that there are indeed hints of espionage and their militarization suggests that they may be gearing up for a campaign against the Republic, but we would be the aggressors. A preemptive strike, no matter how justified, is not the Jedi way. To attack these Sith is to betray our principles and I believe it is my duty as a Jedi to do everything that I can to preserve our final shred of being keepers of the peace.

"Nothing more Master Yoda, I reported all my observations to Master Avdune beforehand." I explained away, sticking with my story. Master Yoda grunted in reply, seemingly not believing me but at the same time not raising the issue. I'm sure that Master Yoda would like to discuss many things with me, but that would have to wait until we are in the privacy of the Jedi Temple together...and who knows how long it may be until both of us are in that same place at the same time in this wretched, seemingly endless war.

"Very well then. Master Avdune, Padawan Vyvan, keep us informed." Master Windu announced before ending the holocall. I let out a relieved exhale as Master Avdune turned to me, concern evident in her green eyes. Wordlessly, she ushered me along with her. We walked a fair distance away from the Republic camp and ended up on a peaceful hill side. The jungle rose back up behind us as the clearing ending, two streams of lava flanked the camp on either side - one of those streams had a shielded bridge over it, uniting our camp with the larger Sith camp, though nobody dared be the first one to actually cross that bridge - and, above us, snow fell before melting due to the geothermal heat radiating off of the lava streams. Far in the distance I could see snowy terrain where lava did not flow. Fascinating how something as destructive as lava gave life to this planet. Life that was not yet contaminated by the Dark Side - Imperius Prime may be a Sith world but the dark presence of the Sith sticks out even here...and perhaps it always will.

Ullara and I sat down on this hill and we meditated for awhile, much like Jedi often did together. She reached out with the Force and her light presence was a soothing force here, she was almost enough to drown out the presence of so many Sith so close by. The rule of two was Sith law for centuries as far as the Jedi knew, but these Sith clearly did not follow it and having so many toxic figures not even attempting to mask themselves had a negative effect on a pair of light side users, however, thanks to peace, serenity, and calmness, our meditation grounded us in the light. We received a temporary clarity and peace of mind that would be gone all too soon, but, as long as it was here, Master Avdune and I would both feel better.

"I am here to help you Zaliza, all you must do is ask." Ullara quietly assured me as we exited our meditation - I managed to calm myself down, but while meditating together, for that moment after my master had achieved inner peace and before I did, my troubles read clear as day within the Force. I knew that Master Avdune had good intentions but I didn't think that she could help me, she was only so much more experienced than me and she had only so much wisdom, she has taught me everything that she knows but I don't know if she has anything more for me. I love her as a person and I am honored to have learned under her, but right now, she's not the kind of master I need and that's not her fault. The Jedi could not possibly be prepared for the ancient Sith of all people to make a return and for one of them to take a direct interest in me, unfortunately, Phanza seems perfectly suited towards corrupting a Jedi and there is nothing that I can do to fight that. Pleas for help would merely doom the people of Taaszon and the Jedi alike while I would never get the help that I actually needed.

"I know master, I know." I quietly admitted to her while torn apart by mental turmoil. All I wanted was for the Jedi Order to help the people of Taaszon repel the separatists, perhaps that could lead to some sort of dialogue between the Jedi and the Sith, but instead, I've found myself questioning my Order, questioning my Republic, and, all the while, I have no way of helping myself escape from the influence of Phanza Attam and the Dark Side without basically incriminating her because I cannot trust the Jedi Council to differentiate between me asking for helping and me putting the Sith on trial. I don't care that Phanza Attam is trying to corrupt me to the Dark Side as long as I can put her lies to rest and receive motivation on the Light Side of the Force, but the more belligerent elements of the Jedi Council will use this as the bait they've been looking for to pounce on these Sith. I shook my head and tried to focus on the here and now, once again assuring myself that there is no way that the Jedi of the Republic would be deceiving me. Perhaps Master Windu was somewhat hypocritical and belligerent, perhaps Chancellor Palpatine was power-hungry, but that is no reason to doubt the Order and the Republic that I've devoted my life to.

* * *

Phanza Attam sat meditating in front of the _Ultimate_ while her companions quietly went about their business. They were nominally here to protect her, however, after the stint she pulled against those separatist tanks, I'm not sure if she needed much help. Ruumshi, the orange-skinned bald Zabrak who fought alongside me during a brief period of the battle, shot me a soft smile while she and Avoine, her human counterpart, sparred with deactivated electrostaffs. Ceyla Ordo, the silver and black armored Mandalorian was seemingly making adjustments to her wrist mounted gauntlet - adjustments that coincidentally lined up her flamethrower with my Master and I - the Mandalorian was not going to strike at us unless given the word, but she was more than capable of inflicting massive destruction at the drop of a hat. Finally, the protocol droid, HK-107 ominously watched over our arrival, as if he was more than capable of taking on a Jedi. These warriors were certainly more at ease now that we were meeting on their territory, albeit territory under separatist assault.

"Welcome Jedi." The Nautolan opened her large glossy black eyes and flashed a pleasant smile, a beautiful smile on a beautiful face, but that face was attached to an awful person. Her skin was a slightly different shade of red than mine and the purple of my eyes was closer to the glowing color of my lightsaber rather than the darker purple of her black and purple robes, but I was not one to overlook the fact that my own complexion and my choice in lightsaber matched the color of this Sith faction. I know that it meant nothing, I know that I should be above mere aesthetic nonsense, but now that I've seen it, I cannot unsee it. Perhaps I could hope that Phanza Attam was just targeting me out of aesthetic similarities and that there was nothing more drawing her to converting me, however, the fact that she specifically targeted my grievances with the Jedi Order and the Republic suggests that there is more to this. At this stage, I could not discount the possibility that, somehow, these ancient Sith from the Grand Duchy of Taaszon have been spying on me. It would make sense, the similarities between Republic vessels and their Sith vessels is indicative of a strong possibility of espionage - however, inside, I knew that there was more to this than mere spying.

"Lady Attam...you called us here." Master Avdune replied, it wasn't a question. Ullara and Phanza were clearly not getting along but given that my master's suspicions about Phanza turned out to be more true than not, I was no longer going to fight this. As long as my master does not start an actual fight against Phanza or ends up compromising our mission to help them. The tension was thick but it deserved to be thick - whether Master Avdune knew it or not, Phanza wanted to rob her of her position as my master and turn me to the Dark Side, I knew that, Phanza knew that, and Ullara was at least suspicious of it. I was uncomfortable, Lady Attam was strong with the Dark Side but I could feel an almost invisible streak of it within Ullara as well - she was kept in check by her own Jedi conditioning, however, the primal part of her personality wanted to strike down Phanza right now and prevent the fall - despite the fact that Phanza would no doubt fight back along with her companions and, even if we did somehow win that fight, we'd have started a war while on enemy territory. I shook my head, there would be no battle, a Jedi must be above her base instincts and while there was a violent want within her, Ullara was not actually going to do anything about that. As young as my master is, she's still a model Jedi.

"Yes, I did." Lady Attam stood up and smirked right in Ullara's face, trying to provoke her. Master Avdune stood her ground and did not fall to her violent temptation - she was a Jedi and Jedi are not the ones to start fights - in any case, Phanza continued once she was done trying to rile my master up "You two shall join me on a mission to Acina while your clones, under their own commanders, crush the separatist positions to the west of Zavros City. My forces will strike to the east, so you don't have to worry your little head about us being a bad influence and those troops of yours."

Phanza wanted us to board the _Ultimate_ and journey to Acina, the moon of New Ziost. We would be alone with her while the bulk of our forces would remain here where they were needed. I didn't like that we were leaving behind our clones, however, I understood what Phanza was trying to accomplish. She would frame this as an opportunity to build trust between the Republic and the Grand Duchy of Taaszon, meanwhile, I imagine that she'll take the opportunity to continue and try and corrupt me to the Dark Side. She was more than capable of arbitrarily picking two Sith to do this mission with her, however, we could use this to our advantage just like Phanza would try and use this to her own advantage. Phanza Attam told us that she is apprentice to Grand Duchess Voytana herself - this mission is our best chance at learning about the leadership of this Grand Duchy - we shall learn how the government works, perhaps how centralized authority is, and maybe learn more about Voytana herself. We would have to board a Sith vessel alone and outnumbered to do this, but I don't think that Phanza is going to harm us. The Grand Duchy of Taaszon is not weak, but they are not quite strong enough to fight the Republic alone; they need this alliance - I'd imagine that they intend to conquer separatist worlds to increase their power base using this alliance - and she wants to turn me into her apprentice. Master Avdune and I are too important for the Sith to kill, that ensures our safety.

I turned to my master and wondered what she was thinking. She had crossed her arms and her expression was clearly suspicious, however, she did not reply - that was a good sign, that meant that Master Avdune was actually thinking about it - my assumption is that her main problems were leaving the clones behind and boarding a Sith vessel, the same problems that I had been juggling with. That was a good sign as well, that meant that she would likely reach the same conclusion as I did, that we were too important to be disturbed. I tried to tip the scales by giving off encouraging thoughts and silently telling Master Avdune to do this, but I had no idea whether or not this actually had any effect on her, nevertheless, she did eventually see reason and either came to the same conclusion as I did independently or bended to my silent pleas. We would board this Ravager-class Sith Interceptor and journey to Acina in hopes of learning more about this Sith state.

"Alright Lady Attam, lets go save your people." Master Avdune promised, the two women shook hands and we boarded the _Ultimate._

* * *

The entrance ramp of the _Ultimate_ lead to a hallway which in turn opened up to a large central chamber. It was an octagonal chamber centered around a full-sized holoprojector. To the left and right were engine rooms along the swept forward wings. The large cockpit was directly ahead but staircases on either side lead down to the long nose of this ship. Master Avdune and I would later learn that down there was the captain's bedroom, the crew quarters, and other personal rooms. Behind the holoprojector room was the cargo hold and, beyond that, the final and main engine room, one that included the hyperdrive itself. On the outside the ship may have a superficial resemblance to a Naboo ship - appearing like a more aggressive, angular, and militarized version of one - but the inside was configured very differently. I suppose this could be explained away as mere coincidence, however, the resemblance between Sith starships and Republic ones overall is shocking and I fear that the whole incident can not be explained away so easily.

The Sith are clearly spying on us, that is an established fact, after all, they know all about the Republic and the separatists while we are only just now learning about them with the separatists seemingly only knowing a bit more. The separatists may not know much, however, their fleet over the world and the fact that the Sith called us for help suggests that the separatists not only want their worlds for strategic reasons but that they also want to exterminate this Sith civilization. These Sith are not allied with Count Dooku and his master - the so-called pretenders - and Sith feuds are hardly unheard of. It has been awhile since I've gone through the Jedi Archival data on the ancient Sith but this would hardly be the first time one faction of Sith has utterly destroyed another - in fact there are numerous instances where Sith infighting allowed numerically and strategically inferior Sith forces to overpower Republic forces. So, a case of Sith infighting this may be, however, even that answer didn't entirely sit well with me, I wanted more than just my assumptions, I wanted to find out anything and everything I can about the Grand Duchy of Taaszon and I wanted to ensure galactic peace, preferably by reaching a conciliation with the Sith and bringing them back to the Light, though I'll settle for a peaceful coexistence - of course, most people, Jedi or Sith, would dismiss that as completely impossible, but I would argue that it is our duty as Jedi to at least try.

My master went towards the cockpit to try and discreetly raid the navicomputer for information about the Grand Duchy of Taaszon while I went into the cargo hold to get to the rear engine room - the idea was that she would try and get information off of the navigational systems while I would check the hyperdrive directly for clues - we were hoping to find the other systems ruled by Voytana and her Sith.

I slipped into the cargo hold and was about to head into the rear engine room when I heard Phanza Attam talking with Ceyla, that Echani Mandalorian woman. Realizing that they were heading this way, I pretended to focus on a large stone tablet written in what I could only assume was the ancient tongue of the Sith. I wouldn't be able to get to the hyperdrive, but at least I could distract our Sith would-be allies long enough for Master Avdune to do her job. The tablet was not the only object in this cargo hold - I counted at least five Sith holocrons throughout the room, a locker filled with various weapons - blasters and melee weapons alike, and various crates of supplies, however, the tablet was the one that it made the most sense for me to be looking at, especially since Phanza Attam believes that I am susceptible to the Dark Side. I will use her own desires to corrupt me to buy my master time to score a victory, however small, for the Light Side of the Force. I heard two pairs of feet enter the room and from the corner of my eyes I saw Phanza Attam come up to me on my left while Ceyla positioned herself to my right, between me and that weapons closet - we were not enemies, but both the Mandalorians and the servants of the Sith have fought Jedi and the Republic for millennia, it is in her blood to be paranoid around Jedi and it is in her nature to want to kill me. I did not like it, however, I could understand it.

"Ah, I see our little Jedi friend is a snoopy one, is she not Ceyla?" Phanza Attam seemed playful in a somewhat psychotic and rather unsettling way, in any case, I doubted that she was actually going to hurt me at all. Ceyla, the coming together of two great warrior cultures in the form of the Echani and the Mandalorians, to her credit, merely grunted in reply, not wishing to play along, I, however, did by feigning embarrassment. I'm not sure how convincing my acting was but it was enough to get Lady Attam to continue on her mockery "Well well well, if you must know, this tablet comes from The Tomb of Marka Ragnos on the ancestral Sith world of Korriban. This tablet tells the Sith Code...listen closely Jedi. Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken! The Force shall set us free!"

"How could you possibly say that peace is a lie?" I scoffed, only a being that lives and breaths for warfare, carnage, and slaughter would be so foolish, so callous as to dismiss the very concept of peace! Peace existed for centuries before the Sith returned during the Invasion of Naboo and since their return they have destroyed the peace and plunged the galaxy into suffering. It is the fault of the so-called pretender Count Dooku and his master that the Jedi have fallen from keepers of the peace to warriors, it is the fault of the Sith that I must leap into battle everyday and shrug off the deaths of countless of my clone friends, and despite all that, a Sith, albeit one innocent in this particular case, has the nerve to tell me that peace is a lie? Peace is only a lie because the Sith insist on making it a lie!

"There is no such thing, little Jedi. The Republic strongarms worlds into joining them and the Jedi not only let it happen but actively support it, the Republic dismisses worlds with actual grievances who wish for independence as separatists, and all the while, all across the galaxy, even on your so-called core worlds of Corellia and Coruscant, crime wars rage on and on. You claim to be a peacekeeper but you cannot even ensure peace in the lower levels of the very planet where your temple sits. So tell me, is peace really a lie after all?" Phanza Attam challenged me. I gulped, these weren't lies, these were terrifying truths...and if this was the truth, could I truly deny that the Republic and the Jedi were deceiving me?

I shook my head and left the cargo hold while the red-skinned Nautolan sorceress smirked...I had to hope that Master Avdune had better luck with the navigational charts, because I went to the back of the ship hoping to secure a victory for the Light Side...instead, it feels like the Dark Side has only gotten stronger.


	4. Mysteries of The Unknown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I write these chapters to typically be in the 5-8 thousand word range, however, I write on FFN and that site handles author's notes a bit different, so the lengths on this site will seem a bit shorter, but not by all that much. Nevertheless, a few hundred words here and there...by the time we get to ten, twenty chapters, the story on FFN will look as much of a chapter longer than the one on AO3, but they are the same. The difference basically comes in this box.

Act I.

The Last Days of The Jedi Order.

Chapter IV.

Mysteries of The Unknown.

* * *

"Lady Attam and Ceyla, her Mandalorian ally, caught me before I could get to their hyperdrive." I admitted to my master as we spoke in hushed tones in our shared bedroom on board the _Ultimate._ We did not know if we were being spied on, but, considering everything else that's happened so far, we would hardly be surprised. It is clear that The Republic does not trust Taaszon and that they don't trust us.

"I didn't have any luck either. I got to the cockpit but that protocol droid was watching me, eerily." Master Avdune didn't have any look either. This HK-107 was definitely more than just a protocol droid, the fact that he was armed was a testament to that. I haven't even heard him speak yet, though I expected that whatever that droid says, I wouldn't want to hear it anyway.

"Ceyla is a warrior through and through, I can see in her mannerisms that she is predisposed towards fighting Jedi." I relayed my observations of the Echani Mandalorian to my Master, I felt it was fitting given that we were talking about Lady Attam's companions. Phanza certainly traveled with a powerful retinue of warriors and, individually, they were all quite a threat to a Jedi, together, they could mop the floor with the both of us. I had to wonder if they were even necessary though, after all, given the display that Phanza unleashed on those separatist tanks with her chain lightning, it seemed that she easily had the power to murder the both of us easily. In general The Grand Duchy of Taaszon seemed capable of fighting the separatists, while they didn't have the raw numbers, their tanks, starships, and super dreadnoughts were all at or above the level of the separatists and the Republic. This faction had clearly been gearing up for a major conflict when the separatists stumbled upon them and I'm not quite sure what their game is now.

They had the advantage of secrecy and surprise if their foe was the Republic and now they've lost that, even if they are hiding as much information from us as possible. The separatist invasion fleet was bigger than we expected and, even now as we rush to Acina, war wages on back on Imperius Prime, so perhaps they really did need the help. I found that hard to believe though, I seriously doubt that the Super Dreadnoughts here are the entire Sith Fleet, Taaszon has more, I'm sure of it. It is possible that this is a plot to turn Jedi over to the Dark Side, but Taaszon is risking a lot to do it by revealing themselves and I think that there is more to it. Sure, Phanza has seemingly taken a particular interest in me, but something tells me there is more to it - the long glance she gave me back on Coruscant suggests that this is not premeditated. She only took an interest in me after seeing me, she only claimed that the Chancellor is deceiving me after meeting him, and she only claimed that the Jedi Council is deceiving me after both of those events. I think that her interest in me is separate from whatever is going on between The Grand Duchy of Taaszon and The Republic. Though I can only guess what both of those plans entail.

"Yet nevertheless, they have fought with us in battle. The human with the electrostaff, Avoine, she's one of Phanza's bodyguards, but she fought alongside me back on Imperius Prime." Master Avdune told me, interesting that we both had the same experience. I do not mean to assume but that seems like too much to be a coincidence, I wondered if Lady Attam had gone so far as to coordinate the order of battle. The fact that we were now separated from our clone battalion was suspicious as well. I had to wonder if Phanza was orchestrating this because of Taaszon's plan for the Republic or because of her plan for me. Either way, I knew I had to be on high alert and, while my master didn't know the whole truth quite yet, I had a feeling that she at least suspected something was going on with Phanza taking an interest in me. As long as my master did not abandon the people of this Grand Duchy because of this, I was content with the situation.

I was confident in my ability to resist Phanza's attempts to convert me and I felt that, given that I was following the Jedi way by showing compassion to the innocent people of this Grand Duchy who were forced to live under the Sith's iron fist, my motivations only drove me further and further away from the Dark Side. Every Padawan must face trials, challenges, and adversity to become a Jedi Knight, therefore, if I can get past this, hopefully Master Avdune and the Jedi Council will see that I am well on my way to becoming a Jedi Knight. Once I am a Jedi Knight, perhaps then I'll finally have enough clout amongst my fellow Jedi to begin arguing for peace. I do not want to take a Padawan of my own only to have to lead them into battle. I am only sixteen, if I become a Jedi Knight any time soon, I won't be ready to potentially lose a Padawan. I'm not sure if anyone is ever ready to lose a pupil. I know that Master Avdune, as much as she tries to be an ideal Jedi Knight and my master, in many ways, she is young and not ready. I don't know what would happen to her if she lost me and I am doing everything in my power to ensure that she does not lose me - whether its by defending myself despite my distaste from combat and by resisting Phanza and the Dark Side.

"The Zabrak, Ruumshi, did the same for me." I told my master, referencing the battle where Ruumshi arrived to support me along with Commander Warlock and the other clone troopers. I was worried about them now, Warlock was a competent Commander, as loyal as they come, but leaving him, Wishlist, Williams, Winch, Warden, and Witchcraft along on a planet with Sith on one end and separatists on the other...I wanted to help the people of Taaszon, but with Phanza's intentions mysterious, Grand Duchess Voytana clearly orchestrating some grand game, and the two of us isolated on a ship surrounded by elite warriors, I couldn't help but get worried over our clones. Master Avdune would not be so callous as to say that it would be my fault if something happened to the 1204th Clone Battalion, but I would know that if I didn't fight to help these Sith, our clones wouldn't be in this position now. In fact, our clones would be resting on Coruscant on leave after our stint on Felucia, instead, they were on the battlefield again. I didn't think that anything would happen, it would defy all logic for the Sith to begin a war that they were not yet prepared for against a much larger foe, but I was worried because if anyone was going to defy a Jedi's logic, it would be the Sith.

"They are up to something...we must stay vigilant Zaliza." Master Avdune cautioned, we have gotten ourselves pulled into a Sith scheme and there is no telling where this journey will take us. All we could do is do everything we can to survive and extract as much information as possible without bringing harm to ourselves or our clones.

* * *

Master Avdune and I entered the cargo hold the next morning to find Phanza dueling against Avoine and Ruumshi. The Red-skinned Nautolan, dressed in a markedly different set of robes - this one was two shades of purple, the main one darker than the second - and it exposed her midriff, her arms up to her gloves, and quite a bit of her neckline despite being hooded. I suppose the get-up and the training meant that we were almost at Acina, the sandy moon of New Ziost. Lady Attam was a Sorceress first and foremost so she favored the Force, but she was no slouch with a lightsaber either, expertly fighting against two opponents with her Form II - Makashi - lightsaber combat style. She appeared downright elegant - the quick, dance-like nature of her blocking and countering, the gentle sway of her many tattooed Lekku as she moved, and even the subtle hints of her next move conveyed across her toned red skin. She was a talented duelist, a powerful Force user, and a she had a genius mind backing it all up - all of that only emphasized how dangerous this woman was.

She parried two blows from Ruumshi but, behind her, Avoine seemed like she has a chance - the human was going to swing her electrostaff all the way around and bring it to Phanza's throat, winning the duel. Unfortunately for her, Lady Attam had other ideas. As soon as Avoine began her motion Phanza disengaged from Ruumshi and brought her own lightsaber to Avoine's throat. The human was downright surprised to see the red and black lightsaber in front of her. Beaten, Avoine retreated to the edge of the cargo hold while Ruumshi and Phanza continued to fight.

The orange skinned bald Zabrak in a set of black robes - significantly more modest than Phanza's current outfit - fought valiantly but Lady Attam was not giving her a chance to go on the offensive and, when Ruumshi finally did try to go on it, she found the end of a red and black blade pointed at her chest. Lady Attam had won...I suspected this was a usual occurrence. For most people in the galaxy, the point of bodyguards was for them to be tougher than you in order to protect you, but the Sith never operated like that - their whole way of life demands paranoia and deception - their bodyguards were no match for them, they would be strong, sure, but the Sith would always be stronger. The Sith Master would always be stronger than the apprentice as well, for once the apprentice was strong enough to fight their master, they would become the Sith Master. At least, that's how it works with the rule of two, I'm not quite sure how this larger Sith Order works. Master Avdune and I are trying to find out, but Lady Attam and her allies seem devoted to keeping their civilization as secret as possible.

"Master Jedi...would you like to spar?" Phanza requested, a smirk on her face directed at my master. I wondered what both of them would do, I knew that my Master, on some level, would enjoy beating Lady Attam, however, she is rational enough to realize that Lady Attam wants to fight her, the Sith wants to spar, and my Master, in her wisdom, knew that if a Sith wanted something, it was better to not get involved.

"Jedi view combat as a last resort, I have no interest in sparring. I would rather meditate." Master Avdune replied, now we both knew that, especially since war broke out, many, many Jedi have been sparring in the temple and even before that every Padawan received lightsaber training, but this war was the exception rather than the rule. Combat should be a last resort for the Jedi and Ullara shouldn't have any interest in sparring with anyone, especially not a Sith. The high and mighty Jedi routine did nothing for Lady Attam though, in fact, her smirk only grew as she turned to me. I groaned internally, was she really going to target me over this? Was she really going to openly try and turn me to the Dark Side in front of my very own Jedi Master? How bold was this woman?

"Funny for a General of The Grand Army of The Republic to say combat is a last resort, Padawan Vyvan? ...or should I say Commander?" Phanza was all too eager to point out any sort of hypocrisy from the Jedi, yet she was unwilling to talk about her faction, about the Sith in fighting that has resulted in the separatists, a galaxy-wide faction but one that is on the verge of facing few defeats on worlds like Felucia, Saleucami, and Mygeeto, battling against The Grand Duchy of Taaszon, a remnant of a long dead Sith Empire clinging to life at the very edge of the galaxy, hiding in the unknown and hoping to defeat factions far larger and far more populated than them with some scheming and some potentially superior technology. They may have been able to repel this particular separatist attack, but I wonder...maybe the reason they called for our help is because that, while they can win a battle, they stand no chance in an all out war. Of course, the separatists committing on two fronts will only hasten their defeat, but either way, the Sith, who have such a field day criticizing the Jedi, will see one of their two remaining factions in the galaxy completely wiped out. The Jedi are far from perfect, but I intend to do my part in making them better, the Sith just seek to destroy one another and we can only hope that as few innocent people as possible are caught in the crossfire. If there was a peaceful way to banish the Sith from Taaszon and bring their people into the Republic, we would do that, but there wasn't. Starting a war against the Sith would just lead to more pain and suffering which is exactly what they want.

"With all due respect, Lady Attam, we are aware of the state of our order. Now please, tell us what we're doing on Acina so my Padawan and I don't have to be Commanders and Generals anymore." Master Avdune countered. Phanza was testing her patience but my master knew that getting angry or snapping at her was only giving the Sith what she wants. Perhaps the Force was not just testing my resistance to Phanza's Dark Side advances but it was also testing my master, seeing if she would be able to resist her own base level instincts. Perhaps the return of the ancient Sith is testing the Jedi as a whole, seeing if our war against the separatist and these "pretender" Sith Lords has turned us to the Dark Side. This could be the wake-up call many Jedi need, but if we lash out like Master Windu wants, like Master Avdune wanted to at some point, then maybe we'll be demonstrating that, as an Order, us Jedi have fallen to the Dark Side.

"As you wish Master Jedi." Phanza laughed it off "Your clones and my forces are pushing the separatists back from Zavros City back on Imperius Prime, our combined fleets are fully engaged over Kallig, and my armies on New Ziost have repelled separatist attacks on that planet. Now, we must finish this invasion once and for all. The separatists have positioned their Lucrehulk-class battleships on Acina after our fleets forced them out from orbit over New Ziost. Our Margraviate-class Super Dreadnoughts are in position to bombard the separatist ships into dust, all we need to do is deactivate the shield generator protecting them. A simple task for a small, elite team. The _Ultimate_ comes in, we do our job, and we leave before our starships unleash their arsenal."

"How heavily guarded is the shield generator?" I asked. I may be a young Padawan but I've experienced enough situations like this to know that this seemingly simple task won't be all that simple. In fact, knowing how much Phanza knows about the Republic and the separatists, clearly she knows it won't be that easier either. I had to assume that she was simply trying to reassure us and make us more comfortable with this uneasy alliance. Phanza Attam seemed to be an experienced manipulator, she knows when to pressure us about the deep flaws within the Republic and the Jedi and when to ease up and give a sense of comfort and respect. Phanza addressed Master Avdune and I with respect all while tearing our values to shreds. A young female alien is certainly not the stereotypical image of the Sith, but between her raw power in the Force and her power of the mind - which, if anything, was greater than her actual ability to fight - she seemed, to me anyway, to be the ideal image of a Sith Lord. Powerful, manipulative, fiercely intelligent, and, most dangerously, easy to underestimate.

"Analysis: the shield generator will mainly be guarded by B1 Battle Droids reinforced with B2 Super Battle Droids. Analysis: we are composed of a Sith Lord, two Jedi, a Mandalorian, two armed meatbags, and myself. Conclusion: Open assault will be easy. Tantalizing Request: Mistress, may I prepare for battle? I would like to join you and your meatbag allies in the battle against these...lesser automatons." the protocol droid, HK-107 finally spoke up. We was clearly more than he seemed with advanced tactical knowledge and what seemed to be a droid version of bloodlust despite his archaic speak pattern. The droid clearly has not had a memory wipe in a very long time to have developed such an advanced personality...perhaps he could be the key to Master Avdune and I learning more about this Grand Duchy of Taaszon. That idea could hold some merit, however, the sheer mechanical emptiness of his eyes and the blankness in the Force while simultaneously being such a deadly and bloodthirsty creature made me uneasy. Someone built this machine. Someone decided to build a heartless killing machine and this person wasn't concerned with ease of manufacture like the separatists were - no, the designer of this droid wanted a single ultimate killing machine and spared no expense - in fact, I think even the archaic voice modulator might be a deliberate choice. There is something unnerving of the droid's voice and something even more unnerving about his speech pattern. It almost brings the thought that his designer minimized the processors to add more killing power. Now, that was a ruse given how fiercely intelligent the droid seemed, but I think there is something to it as well.

"Well, it seems that there won't be a problem. Shall we go then, Master Jedi?" Phanza asked, once again being deferential to Master Avdune. I could tell that Master Avdune didn't like it, she felt that it was deliberately mocking and patronizing, and I didn't think that she was necessarily wrong, either. Phanza's politeness was definitely meant to get under our skin and drive us mad, additionally, the deference to Master Avdune was definitely mocking the fact that we were basically prisoners on board a hostile vessel, however, perhaps there was some respect there. I mean, Phanza did come asking for help and Master Avdune ended up being the one to take her case to the Jedi Council and I think she did legitimately want to duel Master Avdune on a sparring basis as well as taking the opportunity to poke and prod her as an opportunity to bring me over the Dark Side. It was clear that Phanza was grateful, I just wondered if Phanza was grateful for the aid or if she was grateful for the opportunity to try and turn me, a Padawan, over to the Dark Side. The aid was clearly in the interests of Taaszon, even if we still didn't know exactly why they wanted the Republic here, but my presence in particular was in the interest of Lady Attam alone.

"Very well. We shall knock down the shield generator." Master Avdune reluctantly agreed. It was only natural for the two of us to be uncomfortable on a Sith moon with a Sith retinue fighting against the separatists opening the way for a Sith bombardment. Logic dictated that the Sith wouldn't harm us, but the fact that we were dealing with the Sith meant that we were uncomfortable. In the space of a decade the Jedi went from not seeing a Sith in centuries to now dealing with two dueling factions of Sith, now we had to find a way towards peace through this nonsense, so yes, we were allied with these Sith, Phanza was, at least nominally, our friend, but we were paranoid. As Jedi, perhaps we shouldn't be, but the history between the Jedi and the Sith have guaranteed that we are.

* * *

"Cover me." Phanza said simply. Her command was carried out as Ceyla and HK-107 came out of cover and opened fire. The _Ultimate_ was sitting behind us on the red sand and we had just barely managed to set up a few barriers when the separatist ground forces ambushed us. This was not quite as simple as Phanza lead us to believe. The red-skinned Nautolan came out of cover and a toned, red arm rose up to the sky and launched red lightning into the air, lightning which came down on the droids as a Force storm. I didn't know the voltage of this lightning and I didn't want to find out, all I knew is that it was tearing the droids apart. I was not willing to take back my claim about Phanza underestimating the separatists, but she hardly seems troubled.

The heaviest droid resistance was eliminated and that allowed us to spring into action. Both ends of my double-bladed purple lightsaber was activated and I started swinging it through the droids while my master and her green lightsaber deflected blaster bolts back at the droids before she finished them off. My master had initially trained with the dignified and defensive Form III - Soresu - however, Master Avdune was one of many young Jedi to take quickly to warfare and she has since transitioned to the faster and more aggressive Form V - Shien - meanwhile, my double-bladed weapon demanded that I trained with a less traditional combat style. My fighting style was more akin to a quarterstaff martial arts fighting style rather than one of the traditional lightsaber forms. My master and I fought in very different ways, but we fought well together, despite my distaste for war and the fact that, as a Master-Padawan duo, we are amongst the youngest and least experienced pairs within the Jedi, though, as attrition and war takes a toll, younger and younger Jedi are becoming relatively commonplace.

Ruumshi and Avoine had a somewhat similar fighting style to me given that they wielded electrostaffs which were essentially electrified quarterstaffs, however, their training under a Sith Lord means that their fighting style is far more ruthless. From what little I've interacted with them, both we pleasant women and they seemed like they came from more humble beginnings rather than Sith aristocracy - based on what we traditionally know about the Sith, they are quite xenophobic, however, Lady Attam seems to be an indicator of progress, nevertheless, the fact that Ruumshi is a Zabrak, one so unabashed as to have shaved her hair and proudly and openly wear her horns, means she likely isn't a part of that Sith aristocracy, more open or not. I had to wonder if Taaszon even had an advanced aristocracy, I knew there was Grand Duchess Voytana and Lady Attam was her apprentice as well as many other lesser Sith, but what else was there? These were the answers Master Avdune and I wanted, yet instead, we found ourselves just fighting against battle droids once again.

Ceyla the Mandalorian used her jetpack to shoot up into the sky and unleash a hail of bullets down onto the droids. Phanza, then finished off the stragglers with a Force push. With that, we were now faced with the edge of the shield itself. Coming to a near stop, we had to move very slowly to pass through the shield - the purpose of these energy shields was to stop fast moving, unstable objects like lasers, lightning, and explosives, but in order to provide full protection from that in every way, the shield had to be designed so that organic life could pass through. Given that this shield generator belonged to the separatists, obviously their shields had to allow mechanical creatures through as well - a shield wouldn't be much good if it neutralized their own droid armies - therefore, HK-107 had no problem joining us inside. Now that we were within the shield generator's range, we could concentrate on the task of actually getting there - something which was easier said than done. Jedi and Sith gathered together behind a set of crates as we planned our next move, all the while the droids were on high alert.

"Master Jedi, you and your Padawan go to the right and swoop around to the shield generator. Ceyla and HK-107 will flank around to the left while Ruumshi, Avoine, and I draw their attention in the center." Lady Attam presented her plan. Her retinue agreed with it after only a beat but Master Avdune was hesitant. The selfish side of my master didn't want to agree to her plan, however, her logical side could not find any glaring flaws with this plan. Finally, my master nodded and we put the plan into action. Ceyla leaned to the left and used her jetpack to launch her towards another piece of cover to the left, filling the droids with laser bolts and draw attention, attention which HK-107 eagerly took as the assassin droid gunned down the targets. Master Avdune and I quietly and stealthily made our way to the shield generator, making our way past barricades. The massive Lucrehulk-class ships were just giant spheres placed in the ground around the outer perimeter of the shield generator, their large rings up in the air, just barely within the shield. The carnage would be absolutely massive once this shield was down and the Margraviate-class Sith Super Dreadnoughts opened fire on this separatist base.

We found out that the stealth was virtually unnecessary once Phanza shot red lightning and swung her black and red lightsaber through the droids - to say that her distraction was working was an understatement. Taking this chance, we rushed over to shield generator and began working. Master Avdune plunged her green lightsaber through the shield generator but it was a titanic machine, heavily armored and containing countless failsafes. Phanza was distracting them with an all out assault with the help from her two bodyguards while the Mandalorian and the assassin droid were attacking the droids from the side, however, it seems that their programming was to protect the shield generator above all else. Six Super Battle Droids turned around ominously and opened fire at the two of us. I activated my double-bladed purple lightsaber and spun it even which way to deflect and perhaps reflect as many laser bolts as possible. I had to protect myself and my master above all else, perhaps going on the offensive and ripping those droids apart would be a better choice but I couldn't risk doing that without seeing either myself or my master get hurt.

The Super Battle Droids were on the verge of overwhelming me when a red and black lightsaber plunged through the chest of one of the droids. Another one was pulled back at a horrible angle, seeing its waist torn apart and the pieces thrown off into the distance. A third droid was cut across the head while the remaining two droids to the left of Lady Attam were electrocuted. Turning to the right, the penultimate Super Battle Droid was pulled to Phanza and chopped in half while the last one was picked off by HK-107 before his mistress could finish it off. This particular group was finished off quickly but there were plenty of B1 and B2 droids left over which Ruumshi, Avoine, and Ceyla were engaged in, we were in danger of getting overwhelmed by their superior numbers, even with this mighty group of warriors, even with two Jedi here, even with Phanza Attam and her mighty Force powers.

Lady Attam rushed over and used the Force to rip a piece of armor off of the shield generator before filling the innards of the machine with Force Lightning. The machine overloaded and it exploded. Our job was done, the droids were overwhelming us, and the Sith fleet was about to unleash its arsenal upon the this separatist position. There wasn't a word spoken between the group of us, but we all understood that it was time to go. We raced back to the _Ultimate_ as Margraviate-class Super Dreadnoughts began opening fire on the far side of the base, devastating the Lucrehulk starships and anything else that the separatists had. The Sith did seem to know what they were doing, the bombardment was slow enough that we were safe and could escape before we had any threat of getting blown to bits.

Red sand was blown high into the sky as the last of us boarded the _Ultimate_ and launched off of Acina. Master Avdune and I watched from the cockpit of the Ravager-class Sith Interceptor as the massive red cloud settled back down, burying the separatists in red sand. The cloud of utter red seemed all too perfect for the Sith, their signature color combined with utter destruction culminating in it burying its enemies. Imperius Prime was a world of chaotic geology with bone-chilling cold on the fringes and burning hot lava in the center, two horribly destructive elements on one planet. Kallig was a gas giant of destructive winds and supercharged lightning were the Sith were exploiting the worlds resources. New Ziost had jagged peaks and oppressive ice as well. All that we have seen from this Grand Duchy of Taaszon is worlds tailor made for the Sith, worlds of death, worlds of darkness, worlds of exploitation. I wanted to help the people of this state and save them from the separatists, but I wasn't convinced if these people wanted any help after all. Perhaps the separatists would even be an improvement over these Sith as the Confederacy of Independent Systems is at least nominally a democracy with a parliament. I wanted to believe that these people were worth saving but they seem content to live with the Sith on their evil worlds with their autocracy despite seemingly having open knowledge of the galaxy beyond.

I was about to turn around and leave the cockpit when one of those oasis cities that Phanza mentioned back on Imperius Prime came into view, I saw the homes of regular people gathered around the fresh water where the dunes sunk into the oasis and, outside of them, I saw the faces of grateful people, grateful families, and grateful children. They have live on evil worlds, they may pledge their loyalty to the Sith, they may even go so far as to attribute this victory to Taaszon and downplay the Republic's involvement, but I will always know that they were grateful for being saved from the separatists and I was apart of saving them. It was hard to believe that, after everything else I've seen of Taaszon, that these people were actually happy to be citizens of a Sith Empire, but nevertheless, I saw humans, Chiss, and aliens living side by side grateful to still be a part of this Sith Grand Duchy. These people may subscribe to an ideology that views them as expendable resources and fetishizes war, but they have determined for themselves that they want to be a part of this civilization. These Sith citizens really are people and they really deserve to be saved, and if they decided that they want to be a part of Taaszon forever more, then perhaps it is the duty of the Jedi that these people get what they want, even if doing so means that we must help a civilization that has traditionally been our enemy and clearly still has animosity towards us.

* * *

"What did you think of this mission, Zaliza?" Master Avdune asked me casually as we walked through a corridor to the bridge of the _Sage_ , happy to be back on-board our familiar Venator-class Star Destroyer along with our familiar clone brethren.

"It was enlightening master, the Sith have become so militarized, they wield so much evil power, and are so open about being Sith, yet their people seem happy about their rule." I explained, relaying my feelings over my observations as we left Acina.

"Oh? But I thought you were devoted to helping them from the beginning?" Master Avdune teased me, she had a point, perhaps I had not entirely thought this out. Wanting to help them was a compassionate gesture, not necessarily one brought out by logic.

"Well...I thought that helping them meant bringing them towards democracy while we bring the Sith back towards the light, however...it seems that the people of Taaszon are more happy with autocracy and the Dark Side. I must admit that this defies conventional wisdom." I passed on my thoughts to Master Avdune, feeling a bit more open about talking about Taaszon now that we already helped them as were leaving their system.

"I mean...we cannot sit so comfortably with autocracy." Master Avdune seemed concerned, as if she was fearful that my experiences in Taaszon have left me sympathetic towards autocracy.

"Can we really say that Master? After all, even the Jedi Order is rather hierarchical." I objected. The Republic contained various Kingdoms and other monarchical states - and also Naboo where they used royal titles but were in a Republic in every other sense of the word - and the Jedi Order basically had an absolute Council at the top, with Masters Yoda and Windu at the helm of the Council itself.

"Now, now Zaliza, comparing the Jedi Order to a Sith rump state is rather extreme." I had to admit, I thought that it was a bit harsh for Master Avdune to outright dismiss my observation rather than explaining why she felt differently "Now come on, the Jedi Council is permitting us to spend the rest of the time of our scheduled leave back on Coruscant. Lets enjoy it."

With that, I was left wondering if the Jedi really were deceiving me after all. Master Avdune was a brilliant master but this was just one example of how she grew uncomfortable whenever I so much as critiqued the Jedi Order.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're enjoying. Just to clarify, the ten chapters of act one will be posted, along with this week's update, chapter eleven. After that, we will resume with regular, biweekly - as in every other week - updates on sundays for act two. In the off weeks, I will be posting my alternate history story Duchesse d'Anjou, so check that out if you're interested.


	5. Hypocrisies of The Jedi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure quite how long this story is going to be, I'm thinking probably thirty to thirty-five chapters, but again, I'm not entirely sure. This story may become longer or shorter, depending on how it goes.

Act I.

The Last Days of The Jedi Order.

Chapter V.

Hypocrisies of the Jedi.

* * *

I sat crosslegged in a meditation chamber aboard the _Sage_ and used the Force to pull my lightsaber apart. The reddish brown metal was made to match my lightsaber and it contained four purple color crystals - the design was a callback to earlier times, a time when the Jedi were actually peaceful. Double-bladed lightsabers were created as a tool of war, yet it remained popular for time as an ornamental weapon and a martial arts tool before fading away into relative obscurity. It is now making somewhat of a comeback given that the Jedi were once again at war. I was at war, I was a warrior, and I used a double-bladed lightsaber, I suppose that most people would assume me to be one. I mean, a double-bladed purple weapon, rather dark red-brown robes, a red skinned face and a pair of purple eyes in the shadow of a hood, I do admit that, appearance wise, I am not exactly the most approachable Jedi. I acknowledge that my appearance may result in me being perceived as a belligerent Jedi, perhaps one open to the Dark Side. It seemed superficial to me. I suppose the visual key may have something to do with why my master gets so nervous about me so much as critiquing the Jedi Order and maybe it has something to do with why Phanza Attam spent that notable moment longer observing me than she did with Master Avdune - the moment I suspect when Lady Attam decided to try and corrupt me to the Dark Side. I wasn't satisfied with this possibility. I figured there had to be more to all this than just appearances.

There has to be something about me that has made both Master Avdune and Lady Attam believe I am susceptible to the Dark Side. It was easier to dismiss Phanza, after all, she was a Sith Lord, if a somewhat affable one, so she may simply be hopeful. The Grand Duchy of Taaszon seems to have somewhat more archaic titles than the rule-of-two Sith we're accustomed to, these pretenders. The Pretenders use the term Lord as a colloquial title, meanwhile, Taaszon seems to be like the ancient Sith, which made a distinction between Lords and Darths. Darths all had a proper Sith name, some Lords did, others just used their surnames. Lady Attam is one of those Lords without a title. Lords are below Darths but ranked high enough to take on their own apprentices. Therefore, I suspected that Phanza, who was young enough that I suspected she only recently became a Lord, had been apprentice to Grand Duchess Voytana herself, so she wanted to take her own apprentice now. She wanted to add a third name to a prestigious line. I wondered why she had chose me to be apprentice of the Grand Duchess' apprentice. I wish I could ask Master Avdune for advice, but I didn't think that she would be helpful. Ullara was snappish with Phanza Attam on board her own ship when the Nautolan criticized the Jedi in front of me and she then completely shut me down just for bringing up a comparison with the Sith.

I stand by what I said, the Jedi Order is indeed hierarchical. No matter how you spin it, there is no question that Master Yoda has more authority than Master Avdune who has more authority than I do. I do not think Master Yoda personally would mind, but I am well aware that it would not be considered proper if I brought my concerns with the Jedi Order directly to him, rather than bringing them to my Master or properly presenting them before the Jedi Council with permission. Sure some Jedi get the opportunity to speak with Master Yoda personally about their concerns, but those are the likes of Jedi Council or very important Jedi like Master Skywalker, a Jedi with many victories to his name and one of the highest midichlorian counts amongst the Jedi, certainly much higher than my own.

I was not personally aware of anyone's midichlorian count, not even my own, however, as a youngling, I recalled many rumors amongst the children. Rumors of which Jedi was the strongest. And of course there was the question of which of us was the strongest, something which the boys were particularly concerned with. All the boys would insist that they were the strongest Jedi to ever live with the most midichlorians and the greatest Force powers, granted, there were a few girls who would always join them. I always thought that it was pretty ridiculous, none of us knew our count. I always assumed I was an average Jedi, not particularly strong nor particularly weak. I always thought of myself as an unremarkable Jedi. I just wanted to be a peacekeeper. If my name was going to be remembered, I wanted to be remembered for bringing the Jedi back to their roots as peacekeepers and maybe for playing a part in the reconciliation of the Jedi and the Sith of Taaszon, but even then, I wanted to think that I was doing that because I wanted to be a good Jedi not because I was so concerned with my own reputation. Though at this point, I'll probably just settle for getting to be a Jedi in a time of peace.

I used the Force to pull my lightsaber together, bringing the crystals in place, floating the focusing crystals up before them, and then bringing the two emitters to either end. The other internal components and the outer shell all floated into place as I essentially brought two lightsabers together. Slowly, I breathed in, careful not to disturb my own focus or the lightsaber in front of me. I exhaled as I brought everything together. The piece lined up and I twisted them into place before gently lowering my lightsaber to the ground, the weapon brought back together. Asajj Ventress, the former Dark Jedi Assassin, had a double-bladed lightsaber that she could pull apart into a pair of curved-hilt lightsabers - my understanding is that she used them that way far more than she ever used them as a saberstaff - but I felt that would be an admission of our warlike nature.

In terms of a weapon, having a saberstaff that could come apart was superior in every way. The fact that the weapon was two functional separate pieces meant that there was no worry of it being cut in half, unlike my singular saberstaff, being able to switch from a single lightsaber to a saberstaff to a pair of lightsabers at any point in a battle added a level of unpredictability that was difficult to challenge, and it meant that, when only a single blade was needed, it was more practical as a single half could be used. With my weapon, a dedicated saberstaff, the long hilt was a target and cutting it apart would destroy my weapon, I could activate one end at a time, but that still left me with an awkward hilt that was more than twice as long as an average lightsaber hilt, and I lacked the ability to change my lightsaber into anything else. I did not want my weapon, the symbolic tool of a Jedi, to be adjusted to the whims of war. I built the weapon I wanted to build, the weapon I felt in the Force, the weapon of a peacekeeper. To make my lightsaber a more efficient killing weapon would be to betray myself and betray my values. It would be a weapon of meditation, a weapon of bringing one's mind and body together through the martial arts, and a weapon of balance in the galaxy.

Perhaps that was a bit too poetic.

The lightsaber was a symbol of the Jedi and I felt that one's lightsaber said a lot about a person. I watched as Master Avdune entered the room and quietly went about a few lightsaber exercises, not yet realizing that I was done meditating. I appreciated that my master was considerate enough to not disturb me even through I really had finished. Her weapon was simple. A single-bladed green lightsaber and she used the relatively aggressive Shien form. I could see in her stances and her swings that she still had a bit of Soresu in her, a relic of a more civilized age. She seemed like the ideal young Jedi. A Mirialan in a set of brown Jedi robes with a green lightsaber who practiced Soresu...or at least did once. But war has tainted all of us. Her style was more aggressive now, there was a heavier presence in her eyes - perhaps resentment, perhaps anger, maybe even guilt - but guilt or no guilt it didn't really seem to affect Master Avdune. She still appeared beautiful in combat. She never looked more natural than while she going through her combat routine.

Perhaps that said a lot about the Jedi, when Master Avdune, who appeared to be the perfect Jedi, was in her element in combat. My master was a great teacher and I loved that I was training under her, but I hated that she exhibited so many of the signs of what I didn't like about the Jedi. I didn't like that she was so aggressive in combat, I didn't like that she was trying a Padawan when she wasn't even in her thirties, and i didn't like how she was predisposed to distrusting Lady Attam and her people just because they are Sith.

Lady Attam...I didn't know what I thought about her. I know that I didn't like that she was trying to turn me over to the Dark Side. I was also somewhat scared of how powerful she was. The lightning she possessed, whether it comes in Force Storms, Chain Lightning, or simply the classical Force Lightning, it all did so much damage and it all manifested itself in that frightening red. Blood red. The lightning suited her complex I suppose, red and black, just like her skin and her tattoos, just like her lightsaber, just like her face and her eyes. I never imagined the archetypal Sith as an alien, nor as a woman, but this alien woman was redefining what the Sith are to me. I guess what I learned today is that appearances never tell the full tale. I may appear to be dark and dangerous, but I'm not, I am loyal to the Jedi, or at least to what the Jedi should be. Master Avdune appears to be the ideal Jedi, but she is a product of her time, a product of war. Phanza Attam doesn't appear to be a powerful Sith Lord, but she has demonstrated time and time again that she is. Appearances can indeed be deceiving.

* * *

"We'll be arriving on Coruscant later today." Master Avdune told me as she sat in a little kitchenette we shared aboard the _Sage_ , near our two quarters. She was dressed rather casually, wearing a white tunic and very dark brown - almost black - tights. I had not dressed in my entire robes either. I wore a black tunic with a hint of gold color littered throughout the design and a pair of black shorts. Jedi technically do not need to be modest, it is neither a written or unwritten rule. The robes we are given are modest, but we are free to alter our outfits, so long as we do not frivolously pursue clothing. Jedi like Master Secura are certainly not modest. I usually was, but I saw no reason why I should be with my Master in private. I would get fully dressed before leaving my the area of the ship reserved for us Jedi.

Lady Attam usually was modest, at least by Sith standards, but she certainly wasn't on Acina. Those robes which revealed her midriff and arms had more of an effect on me than I would like to admit. If we did not so quickly find ourselves battling overwhelming odds at the separatist shield generator, I likely would have caught myself staring at her more. I was not quite sure what that said about me. The Jedi were quite clinical about attraction, deeming it a means to an end when it came to reproduction and something which Jedi were to avoid. They acknowledged that homosexuality and other sexualities existed, that was about it. Attachment was not the way of the Jedi and emotionless sex was frowned upon. The Jedi reasoning that emotionless sex rarely stayed that way and thus led to more attachment, which led to jealousy, anger, hate, and, eventually, the Dark Side. I thought that stance was a bit extreme but I never questioned it, I never had a reason to question it. I was never really all that aware of myself sexually.

At some point since realizing I was attracted to Phanza, I became aware of the fact that I was not attracted to men at all, but I was attracted to women, as in...more than one. Being aware of that didn't mean that I did anything with that knowledge. Looking at Master Avdune, I could definitely say that I found Master Avdune attractive, after all, she was a fit young woman, a smart one too, and the fact that we were different species didn't seem to bother me. I found Phanza attractive as well, as I realized when she began reaching out to me with the Force. I found her attractive even though she was a multitude more exotic than Ullara. I admit that I am not entirely sure of the mechanics of other species but I assumed, given most things were similar, the...the plumbing would be rather similar too. The Jedi Archives were not particularly forthcoming on any information on the topic, though, admittedly, I also didn't have much reason to look before I found myself feeling an attraction I hadn't felt before. Anyway, I was coming to terms with the fact that I found a variety of women attractive, but I am sure that most Jedi did. There is a difference between mere attraction and sexual activity. Master Avdune was my master, I did not want to complicate our professional relationship or disappoint her simply because I found her aesthetically attractive. Meanwhile, Lady Attam was a Sith Lord, telling her I found her attractive would only lead to trouble, especially given that Phanza was actively trying to turn me over to the Dark Side. I did not want awareness of my own sexuality to spiral into avoiding some sort of Dark Side seduction scheme, though given the circumstances of when I became aware of my sexuality, perhaps it was already too late for that.

"What are you thinking about Zaliza?" Master Avdune asked me, an eyebrow raised and a soft smile on her face. My guess is that she could tell I was thinking and, prodding softly with the Force, detected a strange set of emotions. She probably assumed I had a little bit of a crush on a fellow Padawan or something like that, nothing particularly major or worth worrying over. She wasn't that far off either. I was glad to entertain this line of questioning, I would rather discuss something harmless like sexuality than end up in another argument with my Master over the Sith of Taaszon or anything like that.

"Oh just some nonsense about urges. Nothing I have any intention of acting on." I assured her that everything was alright, as I sat down across from her and started eating something. Her black hair was loosely tied with several strands just tucked behind her little green ears. I didn't see her hair much outside of these quarters. She tended to wear a hood, to be fair, so did I. I was sixteen, she was twenty-five, sure it was a bit of an age gap but, overall, I'm sure that our experiences must be rather similar. Master Yoda may not have urges anymore, perhaps even Master Windu does not, but I don't think that Master Avdune is at that level. I mean no offence when I say that she is nowhere near the level of the Jedi Council, it is simply an evaluation of facts. I will say that I don't feel like I am at her level either. This is just how the balance of power is amongst Jedi, after all, it _is_ a hierarchical organization.

"It's only natural Zaliza. Considering that Zeltrons are particularly known for their...urges, as you put them, I'd say you were doing great." Master Avdune seemed a bit amused that I referred to sexual feelings as urges but did not present me with an alternative, deciding to lightly tease me instead. I didn't mind. She did have a point though, my species should have made me more susceptible to sexuality. After all, Zeltrons are indeed known for being attractive and sexually active beings, so much so that other species have suggested that we have pheromones that make others more inclined to have sex with us. I can say that I have no such pheromones as far as I could tell and my sexuality was more than manageable. I found a selection of women attractive, sure, but that didn't mean that I was going to pounce on them. Especially given that I have already found good reasons to avoid acting on my feelings with the two attractive women I encounter most often. Ullara, who has been my Master and will continue to be my master, and Phanza, a woman I am certain I have not seen the last of, especially given that she apparently can contact me through the Force. Forget lightning tricks, that may be the scariest Force ability she has portrayed thus far.

"Oh? And what of Mirialans and their urges?" I teased my master in reply. I saw a bit of a dark green tint develop just behind the black tattoos she had in two rows below her eyes. They were black rhombi that, in Mirialan societies, symbolized ones accomplishments. They reminded me of freckles. I suppose if I were a bit less professional and a bit more willing to act on mere attraction, I may describe her little tattoos as cute. I liked my master when she was like this. She was easy, she was happy, and she was supportive of me. I hated the fact that she could so easily and so seamlessly switch into a much stricter and authoritative teacher. Perhaps that was just a result of her having to take me on as a Padawan when she was so young. She wasn't ready, but the war demanded more Jedi which meant that more Padawans had to be trained. I think that I could be more comfortable if I thought of her strictness and snappishness when it comes to critiquing the Jedi as an act. She has to play the role of the Jedi Master for me so she has to ensure I am the best Jedi I can be - and being the best Jedi means not questioning the masters. Perhaps Master Avdune did not have a problem with me saying that the Jedi Order was hierarchical but she had a problem with me comparing the Jedi to the Sith. In any case, I should stop thinking about this, that would only ruin my current conversation with Ullara.

"Well...I cannot speak for the rest of my species, but...I do." Ullara sighed before seemingly getting lost in thought. I ate a small breakfast of rations quietly while she thought about whatever it was she was thinking of. I heard her sigh again before making eye contact again "A long time ago, when I was even younger than you are now, I met a slightly older girl. She was a Pantoran, sixteen years old, freshly made into a Padawan. She had been a model student and her master asked her to assist in training the next batch of younglings that were on the verge of becoming Padawans. So, the group of us, a bunch of fourteen and fifteen year olds, started training under her. She took an interest in me pretty quickly and...well, I took an interest in her too. We were in the wrong, I knew that. What we were doing would only end in pain and heartbreak, but we were both too young and naive to realize it. Her master caught us the night we were going to...take things further. He was furious. She and I were separated, she was blamed for misusing her position and I was given a strict warning about attachment. I don't want the same thing to ever happen to you or anyone else Zaliza. Feelings are natural, urges are natural, admiration is natural, but acting on it is not the Jedi way. Especially not now, not when you can feel the pain of losing someone long before you get the chance of getting caught by a Master." Ullara admitted. I listened intently to this very personal story. She never told me anything about this before.

"I...I wish that didn't happen to you master." was all I managed in reply.

"It was my fault. The two of us did things no Jedi should ever do and...if we weren't caught that night, it would only hurt a magnitude more when we did get caught." Master Avdune sighed. I didn't understand it, surely having no attachments causes more pain and suffering for Jedi than pursuing attachments would? Also, if heartbreak is can lead to pain, suffering, and the Dark Side, then why must the Jedi cause heartbreak by separating Jedi who have found love in one another? That seems counter-intuitive. I could see how love could lead to jealousy, obsession, and heartbreak, but is that really enough reason to ban it outright? After all, love can also lead to compassion, understanding, and companionship, all things that Jedi should experience. I may not have any romantic interests right now, but empathy is a Jedi quality and I felt empathy for Ullara, for her Pantoran friend, and for any other Jedi who got their heartbroken by this unnecessary rule.

I bit my tongue but I wanted to ask Ullara how our Order, an organization that preaches that the Force is found in all of us and connects each and every living being, could be so entirely against two individuals forming a stronger connection between one another. I wanted to argue but I resisted, my master has been in enough pain over this issue I am sure and, somewhat more selfishly, she is opening up to me. That is something I have wanted for a long time and I don't want to ruin it by starting a fight over the philosophies of the Jedi.

Master Avdune didn't say much more before the _Sage_ began its descent to Coruscant but she had opened up to me once and I was interested in seeing what else she would be willing to tell me before our leave on Coruscant was over.

* * *

I was walking through an empty hallway within the Jedi Temple as Master Avdune reported to the Council. I had wanted to be there with her but she gave me her word that she would handle it and that she would be truthful about the Sith of Taaszon. We had not learned as much about them as we had wanted to but we possessed a knowledge of their tactics now, we possessed scans of their ships we took during the battles against the separatists, and we possessed more information about Lady Attam and her companions, even if we still didn't know much about the Sith command structure other than Phanza herself. All in all, it had gone well and I trusted Ullara to report to the council, especially since she opened up to me.

" _You are awfully trustful of someone who lied to your face mere hours ago._ _"_ I stopped dead in my tracks for a long moment. Phanza was communicating with me again, just like she had on board the _Sage_ while I was on my way to Imperius Prime and the other Sith worlds. I was impressed and terrified enough when she could do it to me while I was in hyperspace, but somehow, I found it more terrifying that she was able to do it to me while I was on Coruscant. Once again, I saw the Nautolan in the flesh despite the fact we were in different places in different parts of the galaxy. She was once again dressed in her usual black and purple robes rather than the ensemble she wore on Acina. She sat alone on some sort of throne, in what looked to be some sort of castle. I suppose I should have thought that this was in Taaszon and she overthrew the Grand Duchess to take her throne, but, somehow, I knew that was wrong. I knew that this wasn't the Grand Ducal throne, this was a throne that Lady Attam regularly sat in, I had a feeling that this castle was her castle. I don't know how or why I knew all of that, but I had a lot more things bothering me before I could get to that. First of all, what did she mean about Ullara lying? Second of all, why was doing this?

"I would rather trust my master than a Sith." I muttered, I was alone as far as I could tell but I didn't want to change that by letting some Jedi in another part of the temple to hear me, nor did I want someone who entered this hallway to overhear me by coincidence. It would be absolutely disastrous for me and for the people of Taaszon if the Jedi Council learned that Lady Attam was communicating with me through the Force.

" _Shame, I have yet to lie to you."_ Phanza could say that all she wanted but I was not going to trust a Sith. I wanted to help her people and I was willing to trust her to do that, but what did she do with my trust? She started trying to turn me over to the Dark Side before my master and I even stepped foot on Imperius Prime. She did not deserve to be trusted and she certainly did not deserve to be trusted over my own master, my master who literally just admitted her greatest failure to me. Ullara wasn't perfect, but she cared for me, enough to make sure that I didn't make the same mistakes she did and end up in trouble with the Jedi and left with a broken heart. That is far more than Lady Attam will ever do for me.

"I saw the pain in my master's eyes, there is no way she is lying about her and that Pantoran." I hissed in reply, that was such a Sith thing to do, I had only just managed to hear something so intense about my master's past and Phanza was already trying to make me doubt that? How did she know that Master Avdune and I had that conversation to begin with? Was this connection allowing her to observe my actions outside of contacting me? If so, why was I not able to observe her? If I could figure out how to do that, maybe, just maybe I'll be able to find Taaszon and get vital information to the Jedi Council. I hope that she couldn't hear my thoughts, if she did...that whole plan is ruined before it could even begin.

_"Silly child, I do not mean that. She is deceiving you over your true nature."_ Phanza laughed and, with that, she disappeared. She only left me with more questions and more doubts. What could she possibly mean by my true nature? Did Master Avdune deceive me about whatever it is Phanza is referring to? And if so, how the hell did Master Avdune deceive me? I am a Jedi and I hope that I would not fall to the Dark Side anyway, but if Lady Attam wants me to do it, surely she knows that she isn't going to turn me into a Sith by confusing me with vague accusations of deception.

* * *

Our leave was going to be shorter than it could have been due to our mission to the Grand Duchy of Taaszon. Nevertheless, I was already beginning to feel restless. It's not that I wanted to go back to the battlefield - I had enough warfare to last me a lifetime already - but I wanted to do something. Protect a senator, resolve a planetary dispute, help younglings find their lightsaber crystals on Ilum - anything other than remaining here at the Jedi Temple, bored and with nothing to do. Eventually, I wandered into the cafeteria, I wasn't particularly hungry, but I didn't have much else to do.

A few masters sat together and seemed to be discussing some information from a datapad they passed around. I smiled politely at them to show respect but did not disturb them. Most of the people here were masters with their Padawans but there were a few individuals without the other half of their pair. I noticed that Master Avdune was not amongst those in here. Perhaps she already ate, maybe she was busy, or it could be as simple as she was on her way. I didn't know. I was thinking about turning back and looking for my master directly when I spotted a young Padawan - likely one who was just now taken on as an apprentice, one who wasn't yet exposed to the realities of being a Jedi Padawan during the biggest galactic conflict in centuries - she seemed lonely. I walked over to the young violet-skinned Twi'Lek Padawan with her golden yellow eyes and the gentle darker purple patterns running down her Lekku.

"Hello," I greeted warmly as I sat across from her. I wanted to be nice to the Padawan, besides, I was feeling pretty lonely myself while on leave here. My master had opened up to me on the _Sage_ but, despite that, our experiences together have been uneventful and, with her being busier than I was, I was left to my own devices for much of the leave so far. Just because we were on leave from the front lines didn't mean that we were entirely free to ourselves and Master Avdune, as usual, was tasked with far more activities than I was. I assumed it was because she was a master.

"Oh! Hi there!" the Twi'Lek looked up in surprise and couldn't help but smile, she was clearly a nice girl and didn't want to be alone. I glanced at her rations, she seemed to be quite a heavy-eater despite being shorter and thinner than even I was. She saw what I was looking at and offered me some of her food but I politely refused, I wasn't hungry, just amused at her appetite.

"My name is Zaliza Vyvan, I'm a Padawan." I introduced myself not a moment later. My hood was down and my straight black hair was tucked behind my ears, and down into my robes below my hood. I could cut my hair shorter, but I didn't really want to. I had been letting it grow out recently and I found myself rather liking it, even if my hair did spend most of its time below my hood and stuffed into the back of my robes. I briefly considered taking some of my hair and putting it over the front of my shoulder like Lady Attam did with two of her tattooed head-tails on either side of her head, but I didn't think that Master Avdune would appreciate it if I took fashion cues from a Sith, especially given my admittedly dark complexion to begin with. Still, I thought it looked good on Phanza, even if I probably shouldn't admit that about a Sith. The woman knew what she was doing and I suppose that it made sense that a woman like that what open even a Jedi's eyes to her sexuality. It is hard not to see an attraction to women when faced with Lady Attam. She may be evil and she is definitely trying to turn me to the Dark Side, but she is also fiercely intelligent, beautiful, and self-confident. It is hard not to find those qualities attractive.

"I'm Thonna Ai'sunn, also a Padawan. I only just became one and I felt a bit awkward after my master told me that he couldn't come with me to lunch, so I'm glad you came along." Thonna flashed me a nice smile and I found myself grinning too. I didn't have many friends amongst my fellow Padawans and I could very easily see myself becoming friends with this girl. The question is...did I want to? Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with her or even me, the circumstances are the problem. Becoming friends with her opens up a path to pain and loss because of this war. I don't want to befriend her just to see her injured or killed on her first assignment. It was a mean thing to think but I don't think that Thonna would have become a Padawan already if not for the war. I am sure that she is my age or only slightly younger in age, but she seems younger in personality. We may be the same age, but I think most would think of me more as an adult and her more as a child. Though that didn't mean that either of us should have anything to do with this war. Being perceived as an adult does not mean that I have what it takes to cope with this war and I don't think that I ever will. I think being a Jedi in a state of war is unnatural and I think war should never come naturally to a Jedi.

"Oh? What is your master up to?" I asked, Master Avdune was probably busy with something and she knew nothing bad was going to happen to me within the confines of the Jedi Temple - well, other than that whole hanger bombing business not too long ago, though neither of us had been around to witness that - and trusted me with a little bit of independence around here, but Thonna was literally on her first day as a Padawan. I would have thought that her master would spend time with her for the next couple of weeks, or at least least, the next few days, but he wasn't even here today.

"Oh, my master does diplomacy with the Hutts...he umm...he was actually the one to bring me back to the Temple." Thonna told me, I suppose that explained his absence. The Hutts were given a long leash during this war because we were dependent on them and the hyperlanes they controlled to fight the separatists. We have openly let them get away with a lot and our forces being distracted and stretched across the galaxy has allowed them to expand their business without or explicit permission as well. We were essentially turning a blind eye to the biggest source of spice running, arms dealing, and slavery in the whole galaxy. Once again, the war has distracted us Jedi from our true purpose and no one really seems to care.

Though there was one thing I was glad about here and that was that Thonna got the opportunity to train under the master that brought her to the Temple to begin with. I know I didn't, Master Avdune had nothing to do with bringing me to the Jedi Temple, after all, she was only a youngling when I became a part of the Jedi Order. I don't remember who brought me here and no one has ever claimed responsibility, nor do I remember anything about my life before becoming a Jedi. Though that was rather normal, very few Jedi remembered their lives before becoming Jedi and, the vast majority of the time, their memories are limited to a few flashing memories and key moments, things that have kept themselves alive as recurring thoughts or dreams.

"That's nice, my master is young, she wasn't even a Padawan when I got to the Temple. She had nothing to do with me getting here and, truth be told, I don't remember a thing about that or about my life before coming here." I relayed my thoughts to Padawan Ai'sunn. I wasn't sure why I was willing to open up to a complete stranger so easily, maybe Ullara's confession but me in a good mood. I would have confessed something to Master Avdune herself but the only things she didn't already know about me were that Phanza was trying to turn me over to the Dark Side and that she was doing it by communicating through the Force, and I didn't want to tell her about that because the last thing I wanted to do was make a small confession about something manageable and see it spiral into the event that sparked war between The Galactic Republic and The Grand Duchy of Taaszon.

"That's not too bad, sometimes not knowing is better." Thonna looked away and stopped eating for a long while, I didn't want to disturb her. It was clear that she was thinking about something intensely personal and traumatizing. My social skills were hardly developed, but even I knew that, if she wanted to tell me, she would when she was ready. Poking and prodding now would just pressure her and likely force her away. If I wanted to forge a friendship with another Padawan, despite the risk of losing her, I needed to know when to listen and when to talk to her. Maybe a friendship was exactly what I needed to cope with war, perhaps the fear of losing her paled in comparison to the mental benefit of having a friend in a time like this.

"I was born a slave." Thonna finally admitted. I reached out and rested my hand on hers, we locked eyes. She was such a nice girl, she was so excited to become a Jedi, and she was so happy to finally maybe make a friend, but beneath that, I could see the scars that never quite healed. I knew that they hit and even whipped her, I knew that she had to watch her mother dance for Hutts and their horrible clientele, and I knew that her mother had to do more than just dance. The worst part is that she and I both knew that, if the Jedi didn't find her, Thonna would likely have to do those same awful things as her mother did. Thinking about that and bringing together the fact that her master who found her also handled diplomacy with the Hutts, that raised one important question, a question that I think I already knew the answer to. A question that would be absolutely break my heart.

"Your mother...is she still...?" I had a hard time asking the question but Thonna did not hesitate to answer. Though after hearing her answer, I kind of wished she had hesitated just a bit, maybe that would have hurt less.

"Yes." Thonna needed a minute after that, she took deep breaths and I squeezed her hand to remind her that I was still there. The moment had the unintended side-effect of letting the horrifying implications truly sink in for me before she continued "My master told me that it was hard enough to convince the Hutts to give me up, there was nothing he could do about my mother without making the Hutts angry with the Republic."

"It's not right Thonna. The Jedi should fight slavery and persecution whether it exists, not fighting against secessionists." I knew that Count Dooku and his master were behind the separatists, but it didn't seem to matter much to begin with. We were ready to declare war on the separatists long before we found out that Count Dooku was a Sith, the Clone Army was proof of that. The Jedi Council made it very clear that the clones were necessary for the war and that we weren't supposed to question them after so many of their brothers died saving the Jedi on Geonosis, especially because countless clones had died in battle since then to defend their Jedi Generals, but clones only age twice as fast as regular humans. The math doesn't add up.

I got up and walked around the table to comfort Thonna, putting my arm around the Twi'Lek and letting her cry. Some masters glanced disapprovingly at the violet-skinned girl's emotional outburst but I ignored them, she had a hard life and the Jedi saved her only to leave her mother behind to that terrible fate. The worst part is that this is not the first time something like this has happened. Master Skywalker rarely talks about his past but there have been enough rumors going around ever since he got here that he was too old and too attached to his slave mother, rumors which Master Skywalker always sought to put an end to immediately, but they came up enough times and I couldn't simply dismiss it as a coincidence anymore. The Jedi were willing to dive headfirst into a war against Count Dooku and the separatists, but we weren't willing to do anything when it comes to ending slavery in the galaxy. I guess we aren't peacekeepers after all. Maybe it was all just propaganda to justify why we entered this war which we so obviously did not belong in.

* * *

_"The Jedi are liars Zaliza, even you can't deny that after what happened to that little wretch and her mother."_ Phanza sneered at me through the Force while I was trying to go to sleep, I opened my eyes and saw Lady Attam smirking at me once again, this time, she was sat crosslegged, levitating ever so slightly above an outdoor meditation pad. I guess the Force connection was growing stronger because once again I was able to identify this as a section of Phanza's castle. I could also see more of my surroundings. The castle was a tall and fortified structure built into a set of snow covered mountains on a world I could tell was Taaszon despite never being there. There was a city in the distance and a massive citadel reaching high into the clouds - I didn't need the knowledge of the Force connection to tell that _that_ was the real palace of Taaszon. That is where the Grand Duchess is. Of course, the fact that I knew what Taaszon looked like didn't actually help me with anything, I still didn't know where Taaszon was or how to get there.

Still, the fact that I knew the Force connection was growing stronger and the fact that I had the plan to use it to learn more about Taaszon helped. I knew I could eventually get the answers Master Avdune and I failed to find in person.

The Sith Lord evidently didn't have much to say because her image faded away, leaving me to try and fall back asleep. I wish it were that simple, but Phanza really was getting to me now. She was right, the Jedi lied whenever they said that we were agents of peace because we seem so much more interested in fighting this war against the separatists than we ever were in ending the Hutts and their slave empire. Sure once a long time ago we crushed Zygerria and its slave empire, but all we really did there was wipe out the Hutts' competition. If that was true? Was the rest of it true?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I initially planned this chapter to be a bit of a breather episode, however, instead, it ended up featuring some heavy content and you'll see the repercussions of these events later in the story.


	6. Peacekeepers and Slavers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could have gone with a canon bounty hunter in this chapter, but you'll see why I didn't soon.

Act I.

The Last Days of The Jedi Order.

Chapter VI.

Peacekeepers and Slavers.

* * *

The rest of our leave had thankfully been much less eventful. I found myself becoming somewhat of a friend to Thonna and I was beginning to enjoy the violet-skinned Twi'Lek's company. I also managed to spend the rest of my leave without being contacted by Phanza through the Force, something which I suppose was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it meant that I didn't have to put up with the Sith and her attempts to convert me to the Dark Side, on the other hand, it meant that I didn't have a chance to try and refine my abilities through the link in order to find Lady Attam and thus find Taaszon, the homeworld of this particular group of Sith. In any case, it seems I would have to figure that out on my own time because, now that our leave was over, Master Avdune and I were being summoned in front of the Jedi Council, no doubt for another assignment.

"Any idea where we're going? I hope it's not Felucia again..." I asked my master. I understood that no matte where we were going to get sent we would see the horrors of war or the detrimental effect this war has even on populations that have nothing to do with the fighting itself, but Felucia is different. Worlds like Felucia, Saleucami, and Ryloth have felt the brunt of this cursed war and have the scars to prove it. Truly heartbreaking things have happened on other planets, but there is nothing quite as gut-wrenching as leading a battalion of clones through a battlefield where their brothers' corpses are literally covered in the overgrowth of alien plants. Felucia has been a battleground for far too long and it seems it will be until this war finally ends...if it ends that is.

"I don't know apprentice, though I will say that I don't want to be on Felucia either. Now, let's find out just what the Council has in mind for us." Master Avdune smiled before we entered the Council Chamber. I wondered if Ullara was up to something, she has been opening up to me more lately but she also seems quite strict when it comes to questioning the Jedi. I think she does legitimately like me and she is happy to have me as her Padawan, but she doesn't quite know how to teach - after all, that would be consistent with the fact that I know she's inexperienced - so she isn't quite sure how to react to me questioning the Jedi. The truth is, I don't know if Ullara has been a part of the Jedi Order for long enough to know the answers to some of the questions I've asked her. Ullara doesn't want me to question the Jedi because she is not equipped to guide me through it as a master. She is an excellent teacher and mentor when it comes to battle and even with the Force, but with Jedi scripture? She doesn't have the answers I want and confronting that will only make Master Avdune feel inadequate - I'm not quite sure what I want to accomplish by questioning the Jedi other than an ambition to improve the Order - but I know that making my master feel inadequate is certainly not my intention. I shook those thoughts away and focused on the Council in front of us. It seemed that Master Windu would be speaking.

"Master Avdune, Padawan Vyvan." Master Windu greeted "You have performed admirably at Felucia and your experiences on the Sith worlds has given us a valuable insight on a potential ally...and a potential enemy. We were going to send you and your clones back into battle but, given your shortened leave and valiant service, we have found a better solution. The 1204th Clone Battalion will remain on leave here on Coruscant while the two of you accompany Master Towaan and his apprentice, Padawan Ai'sunn on a special mission."

"Very well, what is this mission?" Master Avdune asked. Padawan Ai'sunn was Thonna Ai'sunn, my newfound friend. I suspected that her master told her that they were going on a special assignment and required another pair of Jedi, Thonna then recommended us. I was hardly mad, in fact, I was glad to see that the clones were getting some more much needed rest. That being said, Thonna told me that Master Towaan was our diplomat to the Hutts, I had to say that I wasn't exactly eager to see the Hutts. They were responsible for so much pain and suffering throughout the galaxy and, not only were we turning a blind eye to it, we were pretty much sanctioning it due to our alliance with the Hutts. The fact that the Hutts still owned Thonna's mother - assuming she's still alive that is - only made my opinion of them worse. The Hutts were cruel monsters and I had to imagine meeting with them would be less than pleasant.

"A bounty hunter, Exiim Abarghe, has long worked with Count Dooku and has intimate knowledge of the separatists command structure. His links run deeper than even the likes of Cad Bane - Exiim wasn't at the Box - but it seems that they have had a falling out. He approached the Hutts for sanctuary in neutral space and he's been hiding ever since. His knowledge of the separatist cause could be invaluable to ending this war." Master Kenobi explained, apparently his bounty hunter was bad news and he worked closely with the upper echelons of separatist leadership. I definitely understood why the Republic wanted to capture him. One thing I did not understand, however, is that the Hutts agreed to protect him. If we are allies with the Hutts, then surely they are obligated to let us know when they have the chance to influence events directly involved in the war. There is no way that the Hutts were unaware of Exiim's past links to the separatists and surely they would realize that we wanted the bounty hunter for questioning if nothing else. This alliance seemed very lopsided.

"Meet Master Master Towaan you will. In orbit over Nar Shaddaa, he is." Master Yoda told us. Nar Shaddaa was a moon over the Hutt capital word of Nal Hutta. Hutta being a vile swamp world full of the heavy industrial facilities that made the Hutts so rich to begin with, tends to not be very welcoming of visitors. Nar Shaddaa, the city-moon of Hutta, presents a superficially more welcoming face. In reality, Nar Shaddaa is a cesspit of excess, depravity, and vice. The moon was a world of gambling, slavery, prostitution, spice trading, and crimes I don't even want to know about. Nar Shaddaa was the public face of the Hutts, but it wasn't exactly a good one - though given how eager the Republic and the Jedi are to humor the Hutts, perhaps they didn't feel the need to present a good public face to begin with. This was not exactly a pleasant task, but perhaps, being far away from the battlefield and having Thonna along with Master Avdune for company will make all of this that much more bearable. I could only hope so.

"Very well Masters, we shall depart at once." Master Avdune and I bowed our heads before leaving the Council Chamber. We had our new assignment and we had a trip to Hutt Space ahead of us.

* * *

A red, matte black, and purple Delta 7B Aethersprite-class Jedi Interceptor sat in front of me in the Jedi Temple Hanger. Next to it was my master's fighter. Another Delta 7B, hers was primarily a dark green with white and lighter green trim. We were taking these ships to Nar Shaddaa. There was no sense in dragging out the _Sage_ just to bring a pair of Jedi to a distant world. Of course, there were two other components necessary to fly these all the way to Hutt Space. The first of these was a hyperdrive ring. These rings, currently in orbit around Coruscant, allowed our ships to retain hyperspace capability without sacrificing compact size of maneuverability. The second component was an astromech droid. The original Delta 7 could not accommodate a traditional astromech, instead using a bespoke model, however, the 7B is designed to take a standard, factory line droid.

"Hello R9!" I greeted my droid. R9-W3 was a purple and white astromech and an honorary member of the 1204's W Squadron. He was a good little droid and an excellent pilot - certainly a lot better than I was - if I ever ended up getting involved in a space battle, there is no droid I would want more. R9 beeped merrily in reply, greeting my master and I. I knelt down in front of him before continuing on "We have a mission to Nar Shaddaa, just my master and I. I need you to fly me there and then back here once we're done? Can you do that?"

R9 beeped in the affirmative before using his rockets to propel himself up in the air. The astromech slowly deactivated his thrusters to gently lower himself down into his socket directly in front of the cockpit. I followed his lead and sat down in the pilot's seat. I watched first as Ullara and her droid lifted off and left the hanger before R9 took control. I strapped in as we flew out of the hanger and into the skies of Coruscant. We caught up with my master before the two of us flied off to space together. I was comfortable enough on ships but being in the pilot's seat felt different. I knew that R9 was in control but at any moment I could jerk the wheel and slam into Master Avdune's fighter. She would go crashing out of control while I would careen through the skies as my damage ship searched for a piece of ground to crash into. The fact that I could take control frightened me. That meant that, whatever happened to this ship, I was responsible for it.

Fortunately and perhaps expectedly, nothing had gone wrong on the Republic homeworld and we reached orbit without incident. I eased my fighter into the matching red, black, and purple ring and felt it clamp down securely on my little winglets. The hyperspace rings were circular devices with an engine on either side. They were compatible with both versions of the Delta 7 fighter as well as the slightly newer Eta-2 Actic-class Jedi Interceptor. Once Master Avdune and I were securely in our rings, our droids punched in the coordinates for Nal Hutta and we journeyed deep into Hutt Space. We were going to the Hutts' core system itself and, on the moon of Nar Shaddaa, we would be as close to the heart of the Hutt criminal empire as our hyperspace rings were to Coruscant.

R9 punched in the coordinates and I watched as the lightspeed lever automatically moved forward. I felt the sudden jerk as we were launched into hyperspace. I watched as the many stars all around the galaxy were distorted into flowing blue light, a result of us travelling faster than the light. Suddenly, the journey from Coruscant to Nal Hutta, a journey across the galaxy, could be done with incredible speed. The galaxy has so much technology and so much potential, yet all we choose to do with that technology and potential is squander it all on war. The separatists have legions of easily programmed machines that could be converted to manual labor - it would eliminate galactic slavery in a day and give the likes of the Trade Federation and the Techno Union a new market to exploit, meanwhile, the Republic and the Kaminoans have found the secret to creating life. Clones could have massive potential and yet we use those clones as disposable warriors. It all felt so wrong and so unfair. Perhaps it wasn't the Jedi who lost their war, perhaps the whole damn galaxy did.

* * *

We left our hyperspace rings in orbit over Nar Shaddaa as our ships flew down to the surface of the city-planet. R9 controlled the ship and fallowed Master Avdune as she led us to the landing pad where we would meet Master Towaan and Padawan Ai'sunn. All around us were towering monoliths and colorful holographic billboards. A garish thirty-story screen showing a Twi'Lek dancing in silhouette filled my view only to be replaced by a Huttese pleasure yacht hovering across our path. Master Avdune and I stopped abruptly to allow the pleasure yacht to pass. The rules on Nar Shaddaa were simple - the Hutts got their way, always. They would not have stopped for us and the Hutts would be more concerned with the scratches to their yacht than the pair of the destroyed Jedi fighters flung to the ground far, far below. Once the floating barge of sin passed, R9 brought me in for my final landing.

We touched down next to a pair of Eta-2 starfighters and found the other pair of Jedi. The violet-skinned Twi'Lek Jedi smiled at me. Thonna was dressed in a dark brown robe with a bluish-white tunic below. She had a single-bladed lightsaber on her hip. Next to her, stood a tall Ithorian male with a mechanical translator attached to either side of his head. Ithorians were a rather alien race and they couldn't speak Basic. Though I would not be surprised if the translation device was more to humor the Hutts and their clientele rather than for Master Towaan's fellow Jedi. The Jedi understood that we recruited children from thousands of different species spread across countless cultures and countless worlds. Not every Jedi was able to speak Basic and many were downright physically unable to do so due to their alien physiology. Nevertheless, I was grateful that Master Towaan had the translator, I did not understand the Ithorian language and I did not want to have to waste time by asking Thonna or Ullara to translate for me.

"Greetings to you Master Avdune and to you Padawan Vyvan. My name is Master Samo olhe Towaan and this is my Padawan Ai'sunn. I am told that our Padawans have become friends already." the Ithorian greeted. His speech mannerisms were a bit distorted by the translator but I found him rather easy to understand. I bowed before Master Towaan and then gave Thonna a quick hug to greet her. The hug was kept very short, I considered her a friend already and I did like to comfort her, however, I did not want our masters to think we were forming an attachment. I told my Master about my urges and Thonna definitely was an attractive girl, I didn't want a relationship, I was a Jedi after all, but I knew that too much affection could be misconstrued as something romantic. Some particularly pious Jedi would say that even friendship is a form of attachment. I doubted that Master Avdune would do anything to stop our friendship but I didn't know about Master Towaan. In any case, the hug was short and both the masters seemed not to notice anything strange. We got straight down to business. This bounty hunter Exiim Abarghe had knowledge that could end this war and the Hutts knew exactly where he was. We had a job to do.

"Hello Master Towaan. What's the situation?" Master Avdune asked. The Mirialan and the Ithorian began discussing while the two of us stood there quietly and obediently. We were two Padawans in the presence of two masters. It didn't matter if our two masters personally didn't care if we talked, but the Jedi Order taught us that, when our masters were speaking, we were to only speak when spoken to. I already broke that rule once recently when meeting with the Council and that was because I felt strongly about helping Phanza and her people, I was not going to break that rule just to chit-chat with Thonna while we were on a mission. I didn't like it when Master Avdune had to play the disciplinarian role and it didn't go well last time on the bridge of the _Sage_ , therefore, I certainly wasn't going to give her a reason to discipline me, especially not when we were just now meeting Master Towaan.

"I spoke with several Hutt clan leaders but they were not very forthcoming. The best I was able to get is an audience with Dalenda, a minor Hutt lieutenant. Dalenda controls the several of the rackets for gambling and bounty contracts in this sector. I am told that he knows Exiim Abarghe and that he has means of contacting him. I am confident that being confronted by four Jedi will make Dalenda speak, but I am just as confident that Dalenda will warn Exiim Abarghe the moment we leave. We will be walking into a trap." Master Towaan informed us. He was well aware of the Hutts' true nature - he knew that they were cowardly, that they were dishonest, and that they would easily sell out their allies - this was the man in charge of our relations with the Hutts. Master Towaan knew exactly who he was dealing with and yet the Jedi still found ourselves in an alliance with these creatures for no reason other than to wage war against the separatists on more and more innocent worlds. This alliance ultimately exists solely for the hyperspace lanes controlled by the Hutts. Count Dooku wished to use them against the Republic but we stopped his scheme and took them for ourselves...if we use the same plots and resources as our enemies, for how much longer will we really be able to claim that we have any real moral high ground over them? This war is only making the divide between Jedi and Sith smaller and smaller.

When we finally entered Dalenda's office meanwhile, we found that this war was only making the Hutt Empire larger and larger. Dalenda the Hutt sat on a mighty thrown, his dark bluish-green hide stained by whatever vile meal he was just eating and a collection of slave girls chained up at the foot of his throne. A black haired, beige-skinned Zabrak girl seemed like the youngest of the group, she was clearly inexperienced and very uncomfortable. Through the Force I could feel fear radiating off of her and, when she saw us Jedi, she felt hope. It broke my heart to see that hope fade away when she realized that this wasn't some sort of rescue mission - we were not here to free her and, based on what happened with Thonna's mother, Master Towaan was either unwilling or, more likely, unable to get any slave girls free without offending the Hutts. In the middle, there was a pale skinned human girl, she seemed entirely broken. She did not even look at us or even show any signs of noticing us. I suspected that she may be heavily and constantly drugged. The last one was a red-skinned Twi'Lek. This one looked experienced, hardened. She had seen every horrible Hutt and perverted monster there was and faced them all. She was numb to it.

I wondered if Thonna's mother was like that now. Just one of countless Twi'Lek slave girls who were completely and utterly empty after all the Hutts did to them. I hoped not. I had to hope that the mother of this poor girl who became a Jedi and my friend at least had an ounce of humanity left in her, that she wasn't reduced to a barely sentient object but these horrible Hutts and there equally horrible associates. I saw Master Avdune shoot a quick, worried glance at me. There were no words but I understood what she meant. I looked away from the slave girls and the Hutt and tried to quell my anger. It was unlike me. Jedi should never become angry, we have too much power for that. The combination of anger with so much power is a recipe that only leads to the Dark Side. The Jedi have fought so hard to eliminate anger that they have had to wage a war against emotion itself. It was better for Jedi to be the stoic and mysterious defenders of the galaxy than to follow their emotions down a dark path. The very dark path that Phanza Attam wanted me to follow. I felt chills when an image of Lady Attam smirking ran through my mind. I wasn't sure if that was my own reaction or Phanza tapping into our link somehow, no matter what it was, it snapped me completely out of my anger. These Hutts were disgusting and terrible but becoming like Phanza and her Sith was far, far worse.

I noticed something was amiss when there was no translator droid. Dalenda wanted to make this as hard on us as possible. That didn't seem to deter Master Towaan in the slightest though. The Ithorian used his translation device to communicate effortless in Huttese. I couldn't understand it but it definitely seemed that he was grilling the Hutt rather aggressively. Master Towaan seemed borderline angry and threatening when he was talking with the Hutts, however, I didn't actually sense any strong emotions coming off of him. I figured that this was all an act, the Ithorian was going what he needed to do in order to make these slugs speak. The Hutts liked to think that we were pacifists who would never actually attack them, but Towaan's act reminded them of the power we wielded. That seemed like the kind of thing a Sith would do. It didn't bother me as much as it should have, after all, the Hutts were slimy creatures and the Jedi was getting results.

Dalenda seemed to panic and hastily admitted something. Master Towaan seemed to ease off then, becoming downright affable. The Ithorian and a rather shocked Hutt Lieutenant exchanged goodbyes before Master Towaan turned around and left. Master Avdune followed him and then Thonna and I followed their lead. We understood that we were here to play a role. A role which, so far, amounted to intimidation. We ignore the Hutts' criminal activity and then we come around here occasionally and have to all but force them to give only a basic favor in return. Not only was this alliance unfair, but it was very befitting of the Jedi. We were allowing atrocities and we were resorting to threats, this certainly wasn't the way of peacekeepers.

"Exiim Abarghe has been hidden here on Nar Shaddaa in a Hutt safe house, they were waiting for the right time to move them. We must hurry, Dalenda will be notifying him now." Master Towaan explained as we rushed to our fighters. I got into him and relayed the situation to R9 while Thonna boarded to blue, silver, and purple Eta-2 Actic fighter while Master Towaan got into the white and brown fighter. The Ithorian in his starfighter lead the way as the four of us rushed across the skies of Nar Shaddaa. We dodged towers, walkways, tunnels, speeders, and starships as we attempted to catch Exiim Abarghe before he could escape the moon. There is no telling where he would go once he got off this planet. The Hutts probably had an idea of where they wanted to send him, but that isn't very helpful. First of all, getting that information out of the Hutts would be like pulling teeth, second of all, even if we did get that information out of the Hutts, they would no doubt inform Exiim just like Dalenda just did, finally, there's no telling if Exiim would even trust the Hutts after they already sold him out once. Abarghe was smart enough to escape the wrath of Count Dooku, I wouldn't be surprised if he decided to never trust the Hutts again.

"Master Towaan, you and Thonna take the right entrance, we'll take the left. We'll box Abarghe in." Master Avdune decided as we split into two groups. I followed my master as we landed on a pad on the left. I looked over to the other pad where the other Jedi landed. The wide entrance to the hanger separated us. The hanger was currently shut and that suggested we had a chance. The hanger was shut and we had Jedi on both of the landing pads. We didn't know how this hanger was configured, but we had to imagine that we were leaving the bounty hunter with very few opportunities to escape. My master grabbed her lightsaber but did not ignite it - she wanted to be ready for whatever trap Exiim Abarghe had waiting for us. I followed her lead and held my double-bladed lightsaber at the ready. We gathered at the door and prepared to enter when my Mirialan master turned to me for just a moment.

"Bounty Hunters are a dangerous lot. Exiim Abarghe will try and kill you. You must not stoop to his level - his information will be invaluable and you know as well as I do that killing him is not the Jedi way. We must be vigilant and we must be careful." Master Avdune warned and I nodded. With that, she opened the door and lit her lightsaber when she realized the hallway was empty and the lights were deactivated. She bathed the hallway in green light as well followed it into the hanger. There were no traps in this hallway and I figured that, with the lights off and no trap to be found yet, the bounty hunter had something waiting for us in the hanger itself. We went down a staircase and around a ninety degree bend to the right before finding ourselves in a large hanger. The lights were still off but we could tell that there was a ship in the distance and an armored man standing in front of it. I felt that there was something in the shadows against the wall but I couldn't identify it quite yet. I activated my double-bladed purple lightsaber and soon felt comforted when a pair of blue lightsabers activated on the opposite end of the room - Master Towaan and Padawan Ai'sunn joined us.

We decided to join the other pair of Jedi before approaching Exiim Abarghe. The darkness, the strange feeling in the shadows, and Master Towaan's prediction meant that we were well aware that we were walking into a trap. We felt a lot more comfortable walking into a trap as four Jedi rather than as two groups who could be separated and isolated. The shadowed figure that we assumed was Exiim Abarghe slowly raised his arm and pressed something on his wrist. Suddenly, the lights came on and the hanger door started to open, meanwhile, the ship behind him roared to life, ready to fly off at a moment's notice. The lights revealed Exiim Abarghe in a full set of green body armor broken up by a black wrap-around visor where his eyes would be. Along the walls of the room were ten Super Battle Droids on either side, all of them painted the same shade of green and reprogrammed. It seems that the bounty hunter took some parting gifts from the separatists. The bounty hunter lowered his arm and reached for the pistol at his hip. There were still four Jedi here, but we didn't quite have the advantage we wanted to have given that we were confronted with twenty elite droids and an armed and armored bounty hunter ready to escape at a moment's notice.

"We do not have to fight Exiim. We are not here to kill you." Master Towaan tried to reason to the bounty hunter, I doubted it was going to work. Abarghe didn't even react but the Ithorian decided to try once more "We know that you and the separatists are no longer allied together. The fact that these droids are reprogrammed is proof enough of that. All we want is your knowledge of the separatists. Surely you would be willing to inform us on your former employers given this bad blood. Especially if the Republic was willing to pay a premium for good information!"

"You are not in a position to bargain. I am leaving this moon Jedi." Exiim replied simple before firing one shot in the air, that seemed to be a signal for his battle droids. The twenty of them opened fire and we could barely even damage to repel their fire. All four of us were far too distracted to do anything about the bounty hunter even though we could all see that he has getting away. We had a more pressing matter on our hands.

I redirected a laser bolt at one of the droids and that gave me an opening to Force push another one into the wall behind him. The impact was enough to deactivate the droid and it compromised their line. Thonna and I focused on one half of the droids while our masters took on the other. We ran towards the remaining eight droids on our side, blocking laser bolts as we ran when Master Avdune gave her Ithorian counterpart an opening. She was using the Force to hold a group of battle droids in the air, giving Master Towaan a chance to throw a long range tracker on the bounty hunter's ship. Exiim Abarghe then flew away, released a blast from his afterburners that knocked us all off balance. Master Avdune stumbled and dropped the droids she was hold while Thonna and I fell from our run onto the ground. I spun to the right and got into a kneeling position as quickly as I could, bringing up both blades of my lightsaber to cover me. Padawan Ai'sunn, however, pulled herself back into a run, taking advantage of the fact that most of the droids opted to focus on me when I got into my new position. I deflected bolts and distracted the droids while Thonna began to cut them down.

Two droids fell before these reprogrammed Super Battle Droids realized what was going on. One unit turned to confront the violet-skinned Twi'Lek but, in doing so, he left himself vulnerable to me. I threw that droid against the hanger wall before rushing into the fray. I swung the upper purple blade throw another droid's torso while using my right leg to kick another, staggering the robot. I then used the upper blade again to cut its legs out from under it before killing it with my lower blade. I then plunged my weapon into the chest of a third droid, killing it. Thonna meanwhile used the Force to throw a droid's arm off target, causing the B2 to accidentally shoot its companion dead. The Twi'Lek Padawan's lightsaber then chopped the droid's arm off entirely before cutting its torso in half horizontally, bringing the droid down. That brought an end to our side of the hanger and we turned around only to see Master Avdune and Master Towaan wrapping up their side. We all turned off our lightsabers and gathered in the center of the room. The Ithorian pulled out a datapad to check what his tracker was seeing.

"Exiim Abarghe is in hyperspace, I cannot establish an effective connection with the tracker. We will have to wait until he emerges." Master Towaan explained. Our trackers were good but they could not actually track a ship in hyperspace, we could only find one again once it was out of hyperspace, meaning that we would have to make the journey ourselves. That meant that we would arrive hours behind our prey who very well may have made a second jump in that time. Nevertheless, no ship could keep going forever and we would find the bounty hunter again eventually. His information on the separatists could be invaluable to ending this war. Something we could have done far earlier had Dalenda the Hutt not warned Exiim immediately. This alliance, an alliance very much misguided to begin with, was now actively interfering with our ability to create peace in this galaxy once more. We could only hope that Dalenda selling out Abarghe to begin with will make the bounty hunter distrustful of the Hutts, at least that way, we won't have to put up with their double-dealing and dishonesty for any longer. A bounty hunter had got away and we would leave Nar Shaddaa empty-handed, all the while, the Hutt Lieutenant who caused all of this was still sitting in his office, surrounded by his slaves. Dalenda sent four Jedi into a trap and he would feel no repercussions for it.

* * *

Our four starfighters were refueling at a Republic space station near the border with Hutt Space when I heard Phanza's evil silk voice in my head once again. The Sith appeared in my vision, this time, she was meditating on-board the _Ultimate_.

_You could have killed that Hutt and freed his slaves. Think about how grateful they would have been, think about how many girls you would have saved from a life of slavery. Girls just like you or I._ Of course Lady Attam would want me to kill the Hutt, she knew that such a murder would not only be against the Jedi way but also harmful to the Republic. I also knew that she was wrong. Killing a single Hutt, especially not a mere Lieutenant, would not end slavery in the galaxy. I knew these thoughts were wrong, but what scared me is that I had been thinking them before Lady Attam reached out to me.

I shook my head, this wasn't like me. I didn't like war and I certainly didn't like vengeance. The Hutt was a vile creature but it was not my place to kill him. Killing him was what Phanza wanted - killing him would be a step towards the Dark Side. I let those thoughts fade away, glad that I wouldn't ever see Dalenda again. It was easier not to dwell on these thoughts when I knew they would never confront me again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heavy themes yet again.


	7. The Hunter and The Hunted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This time, the planet featured is one that exists from legends. Dxun, the jungle moon of Onderon from KOTOR II.

Act I.

The Last Days of The Jedi Order.

Chapter VII.

The Hunter and The Hunted.

* * *

_You limit_ _yourself, why? You have power within yourself, power than can finally end the separatists and bring about your so-called peace._ Phanza Attam continued to harass me through the link we shared in the Force. Master Avdune and I were still at the Republic Outpost with Master Towaan and Padawan Ai'sunn even though our ships had already refueled. Master Towaan's tracker would not kick in until Abarghe was back out of hyperspace and we could hardly guess where he would be going. Master Towaan was considering contacting the Hutts to grill them for information again but I doubted that would lead anywhere, grilling them to begin with only got us an audience with a minor lieutenant who allowed Exiim Abarghe to spring a trap on us. Now, either the stubborn and stupid Hutts would pull off a similar stunt or Abarghe would cut ties with them altogether, seeing that, if they sent us into a trap, he could not trust them to not sell him out if offered the right price. The one saving grace of the Republic is that we tend to be cautious about giving too many credits to the Hutts, especially now when Chancellor Palpatine demands more and more economic resources for the war.

The Chancellor was an individual who should be given more thought. He was reigned longer and gained more power than anyone ever thought he would but it never seems to be enough for him. I do not entirely trust his clueless old man doing what's best for the Republic routine. Perhaps he truly is doing what he thinks is right for his civilization, but that does not make it right. The Republic is a democracy, not some sort of enlightened despotate. Despotism may be the way of the Sith and it may be what the people of The Grand Duchy of Taaszon want, but that does not mean it is right for the Republic. Palpatine, it seems, either does not understand that or does not care. So perhaps he is deceiving me. Phanza also insists that the Jedi Order is deceiving me. I do not agree with that, though given some of the business involving the Hutts, that statement may be technically true. There is one more thing to all this. Lady Attam insists that the Jedi Order knows my true nature or something like that - perhaps that is wishful thinking on her part, assuming that I am, for whatever reason, predisposed towards the Dark Side - but if, theoretically, the Jedi are deceiving me and Palpatine is deceiving me, does that mean the Chancellor is aware of this true nature?

Of course, when I actually have questions she could answer, Phanza is completely silent through the bond. I would assume that the Chancellor is not aware of this, after all, if this is something a Sith sees within me that is supposed to make me predisposed to the Dark Side, it would surely have something to do with the Force. The Chancellor is a plain human male, he doesn't have the Force and, beyond some potentially extreme political ideas possessing too much power for too much time, the man is harmless. This does not really get me anywhere. Phanza's assertions are vague enough that the Chancellor and the Jedi could be deceiving me over the same issue, different issues, or any number of issues. I hope that the red-skinned Nautolan thought more of me than thinking I am some sort of moron who would fall to the Dark Side because of some vague assertions and promises of some sort of power.

Lady Attam is a powerful woman, there is no denying that. She is a master with Force Lightning and she has demonstrated that countless times on Imperius Prime and Acina. Powerful and skilled with a lightsaber she may be, but that power and that skill can never justify that evil...nor is it something that I particularly want. I don't want to be some sort of mystical sorceress casting spells throughout the galaxy, I just want to be a peacekeeper. The Force means nothing to me if I cannot use it to make the galaxy a better place. I want to make sure that no girl has to go through what Thonna and her mother went through in the chains of the Hutts, I want to make sure that disagreements between systems never again escalate into an outright Galactic Civil War between separatists and those loyal to the Republic, and I want to make sure that every world can prosper as much as Coruscant.

_How cute, you still think you can make a difference. You are only a Jedi because of your power. As one of us, you could be so much more. Entire systems would bow to your will, war and conquest along your borders will bring peace and prosperity to the heart of the galaxy, and you will have finally reclaimed your birthright. You may not even know what you are, but you are destined for more than this._ Phanza whispered through my mind before retreating back to her own business. Keeping the connection as dull as it could possibly be. Her presence, which had just been filling my head, turned into something that was barely there, something which I would miss if I were not already aware of it. Her voice almost sounded like it was full of admiration there, I must have misheard that. It is possible that Phanza might be trying to flatter me over to the Dark Side, but, quite frankly, that sounds ridiculous. She is a hard woman to predict. The Sith noblewoman was still on my mind when I sensed Padawan Ai'sunn approaching, but I was quick to clear my head and focus instead on speaking with Thonna.

I liked the violet-skinned Twi'lek girl. She was a nice and meek girl, the fact that she was attractive certainly did not hurt - though of course, I did not want to pursue a relationship with her, that would only complicate our friendship and, more importantly, our role as Jedi - and she definitely seemed happy to have a friend to talk to. Thonna comes from a tragic backward and her role as a Jedi has meant that she has had to repress her emotions and could never ever check if her mother was still alive, let alone contact her. This was all out of fear of the Dark Side...but is fear itself not a path of the Dark Side? I think letting go of that fear and venting those emotions away before they could manifest themselves negatively is not only healthier, but also a much more effective way of keeping Jedi away from the Dark Side. I know that a close friendship could be seen as a form of attachment, but I want a closer friendship with Thonna. I want to help her cope with her past and, maybe, one day she could help my cope with my growing doubts and disagreements with the Jedi Council.

"Hello Zaliza," my fellow Padawan greeted me warmly, she sat down next to me. We were sitting near a view port looking out to the cosmos just outside - our masters were watching over our ships waiting to get a signal from the tracker - they would contact us on our holocommunicators once they got word. Exiim Abarghe was out there, somewhere, amongst those stars. He had the information to end this war and he chose not to do it - why? Virtually every star in the galaxy has worlds orbiting around it that have become battlefields in the Clone Wars. I understood that he was a bounty hunter and thus his moral compass is different than mine, but the separatists wronged him and want him dead - surely he would see giving us information as merely getting revenge on Count Dooku for betraying him, right? My frustration with this must have been showing on my face because Thonna noticed "What's got you troubled?"

"I don't understand why Abarghe is running. All we want to do is get his information and end this war. Immoral bounty hunter or not, surely he can see that the galaxy is suffering!" I objected. People suffer as their planets are torn apart by war, people suffer as their planets are exploited to fuel the war effort on both sides, people suffer as their freedoms and democracy are slowly torn away from them by the Chancellor. The galaxy is not a good place right now. The Republic's people are being taxed heavily so they cannot afford to pay bounty hunters while the separatists not only face the same issue, but their currency is in free fall anyway ever since Chancellor Palpatine seized control of the banks. That economic move means that our enemies will be getting desperate and that means a rash and alarming action is on the horizon. This is an action that Exiim Abarghe may even know about - in fact, it is entirely possible that the bounty hunter knew too much and Count Dooku betrayed him in order to eliminate loose ends. The separatists may be in the endgame now - they are going to make one last desperate move to win the war before their legs are pulled out from under them. If this assumption is true, that only makes our mission that much more important.

"The Hutts thrive on suffering. They have only gotten richer and stronger because of this war. They expanded their borders and earn fortunes taxing the Republic on their hyperspace lanes. Abarghe is of that environment. You'll never understand him and - thanks to the Jedi - neither will I." Thonna replied, trying to comfort me. I did indeed appreciate it, it is easy to have someone who I can talk to without fear that I am doing to disappoint them. Master Avdune is not the perfect master but she has an excellent Jedi and I want her to one day become an excellent master, therefore, I am trying to be the best apprentice I can be for her so she has the best reputation possible as she takes on a second Padawan. Training her first Padawan is as much a learning experience for my young master as it is for me, I don't want to make her job harder by failing at my tasks or by troubling her with issues I should be able to handle on my own. I cannot tell her about Phanza because of not only what would happen to The Grand Duchy of Taaszon and its people but because my master would then be confronted with having to deal with an apprentice who has had extended contact with a verified Sith Lord. I will not share my concerns over the Jedi with her either, I have troubled her enough with those already and she has either been unwilling or unable to give answers anyway.

"Thank you Thonna, I appreciate-" I was responding to Thonna when we both felt beeps coming from our holocommunicators. Our conversation ceased and we both watched as I activated mine. A message popped up from Master Avdune to come to meet her and Master Towaan immediately. We assumed that Thonna got the same message and rushed to meet our masters, wondering what this was about. The fact that it was a mere message through text rather than a call suggests it is urgent, but if it was about Exiim Abarghe, surely the message would have said so. It was definitely not about the bounty hunter on the run because as we entered the hanger and found the Mirialan and the Ithorian watching a video report from an emergency session of the Jedi Council. Padawan Ai'sunn and I wordlessly joined our masters and watched the report with piqued interest, only to learn dreadful news.

"...dispatched Master Kenobi and Knight Skywalker we have. Rescue the Chancellor, they must." Master Yoda reported over the call. My eyes widened, I was right, the separatists were plotting an audacious attack. Apparently General Grievous and a separatist fleet had raided Coruscant itself. The cyborg warrior himself came to the surface and kidnapped the Chancellor in a flash attack, killing a number of Jedi in the process. The Grand Navy of The Republic has engaged Grievous' fleet in the skies of Coruscant. Generals Kenobi and Skywalker, both accomplish war heroes with countless victories to their name, have been chosen to spearhead the rescue mission despite their previous commitment to Mandalore. Exiim Abarghe likely knew about this. I was instantly overcome with guilt, if we had been a little bit quicker or if we had managed to capture Abarghe instead of falling for his trap, we could have warned the Chancellor and prevented this. I had suspicions about the man, but the Chancellor does not deserve to be captured and very likely tortured by such vile and evil creatures as Grievous and Dooku. We had the capacity to stop this on Nar Shaddaa and we failed, not only that, but we still don't have Abarghe.

_Oh...has your Chancellor gone missing? Don't worry little Jedi, something tells me that everything that is about to happen has already been predetermined._ I saw Phanza mocking me through our bond, but I could sense something more than that. I could sense fear. That was very unlike Phanza. I saw how powerful she was, I would be shocked if she wasn't more than capable of stopping Grievous and very likely Dooku as well. Lady Attam is a deadly woman and whatever made her scared was something truly terrifying. That being said, fear did not match her words. She tells me not to worry about that everything has been predetermined, but if that is the case, why would she be worried. Unless she is not the one who has predetermined it...

"Remain on your mission, the Chancellor's rescue is in the best hands for the job. If the separatists have grown this bold, we need Abarghe's information now more than ever." Master Windu's authoritative voice snapped me out of my thoughts and Lady Attam seemed rather busy herself as the Sith Nautolan made no further attempt to contact me or push me towards the Dark Side. We were Jedi and we would play our role. I just hope that Master Kenobi and his former Padawan can succeed, getting Abarghe's information means little if the separatists have our head of state and potentially two Jedi as hostages. If their rescue mission fails, the separatists will have everything they need to force us to sign a humiliating treaty and lose this war. It will be peace, at least there is that, but can there really ever be peace if it is a peace determined by the Sith? After all, Count Dooku and his master follow an ideology whose first tenant is that peace is a lie. That is the very same reason why I would never fall to the Dark Side, regardless of what Lady Attam thinks, I shall not compromise my own values for power or for fancy titles or for whatever hollow nonsense she may promise me next. I am a Jedi and I am a defender of the Republic.

"Of course, masters." Master Avdune bowed and I followed her lead. The report from the Jedi Council flickered away and we were left with to wait once again, just waiting and waiting for Exiim Abarghe to appear once again. The wait seemed absolutely unbearable now that we knew that the Chancellor's life - that of the Republic's head of state - was in jeopardy. I could sense Master Avdune was in a similar mood. She was restless but didn't want to show it - the Mirialan did not want to sit by idly while she knew that the Republic's capital world itself was at risk - things would be better if we were on another mission. If we were actively fighting the war right now, we could focus on that and win battles, showing the separatists that even if they can strike Coruscant, they cannot keep up this war. I hated fighting on the battlefield, but I hated this even more. I hated having to stand here on a space station in the middle of nowhere while a man with information that could end this war was out there, free. I hated having to wait while the man who potentially knew about the raid on Palpatine was at large. I sensed guilt from the Ithorian, as if Master Towaan felt he could have done more with the Hutts. He too felt guilty over all of this.

"A signal!" Master Towaan finally exclaimed after another hour or so of endless waiting "Abarghe has arrived in orbit over the moon of Dxun. He must be attempting to hide there! We must hurry!"

The four of us sprung into action and got into our fighters. I gave him the command and R9 but in the coordinates for Dxun, the moon of Onderon. Four Jedi starfighters took off from this space station and headed for the jungle moon. Dxun was a largely deserted planet despite being habitable and of similar size to the heavily populated and important Onderon. The reasons for this are various, first of all, the jungles and mountains of Dxun make civilization difficult, second of all, those mountains are filled with vicious beasts and ghastly creatures, and third of all, the Onderonians themselves want little to do with Dxun. They are superstitious and fearful of living on the moon where the former Sith King of Onderon is buried. Perhaps rightfully so. I suppose that meant it was a perfect place for Exiim to hide, plenty of ships entered the Onderon system so his arrival would not be suspicious if we weren't tracking him, and, in sufficient tracking, a skilled pilot could slip by and end up on Dxun without drawing attention to themselves, allowing their ship to simply become lost in the dense traffic coming in and around the world ever since it had been freed from the separatists by an insurgency. The end of said insurgency produced a government willing to work with the Republic in exchange for aid, only adding to the amount of ships coming and going from the world. It was a clever plot, but the bounty hunter could do nothing against our tracker.

* * *

Exiim Abarghe clearly took a circuitous route through hyperspace to reach Onderon, attempting to throw us off his trail, but it didn't do him any good because we reached Dxun in a fraction of the lengthy time it took him to get there. We found his ship landed in a clearing of the jungle and we opted to split up once again. Master Avdune and I would come from the southeast and Master Towaan and Padawan Ai'sunn would come from the north. We wanted to truly box him in this time. R9 dropped me off but he remained in the fighter - to ensure that Abarghe would not get away this time, our astromechs would remain in control of our fighters - even if the bounty hunter managed to get in his ship and in the air again, this time, he would be grounded by our fighters. The Chancellor himself was in jeopardy and we were not taking any more chances. We needed Abarghe alive for questioning and killing was not the Jedi way to begin with, but if the way to bring him in alive meant dragging his bruised and battered body from a crashed starship, we were willing to do so.

I activated my double-bladed purple lightsaber and Master Avdune's green blade shimmered into existence. We made our way across the jungle path and reached the clearing where Abarghe's ship sat, having not encountered any of the moon's creatures yet. Master Avdune and I separated, surrounding the vessel, peering across to see a pair of blue lightsabers on the other side - Master Towaan and Padawan Ai'sunn joined us. My masted raised her arm and began prodding at the ship's door with the Force, attempting to force it open.

Instead, the ship exploded, blowing the four of us back. Blaster fire erupted from a nearby ridge where the bounty hunter had been waiting for us. We caught the laser bolts and tried deflecting them back at Abarghe, but it was difficult to try and hit him without killing him. Bouncing a laser beam off a lightsaber was an admittedly imprecise process. The bolt would hit exactly where we deflected it, but it was difficult to predict where exactly we would deflect it. The angle, the movement of the lightsaber, and how direct the hit was all played a role in how the laser beam reacted to the lightsaber. We were soon presented with a larger problem as the clearing was filled with vicious beasts - a pack of zakkegs and a hungry drexl - that came to feast on the commotion. I disengaged from Abarghe to cut down a pair of reptilian hounds but I was soon confronted with the drexl, the largest and most dangerous of the beasts that had flooded the clearing.

I hit at it with my lightsaber but it did little against the beast. I called Master Avdune for help. The Mirialan killed a zakkeg and flung the carcass at the drexl with all her might. I watched as the beast flinched at the contact, thinking that we managed to hurt the thing, but then the beast snarled and shrugged off the pain. All we had managed to do is make the creature angrier. The beast swung its claw at me and I ducked, forcing the upper blade of my lightsaber up in my place. I felt the blade cut through its claw and the beast made a cry, but the sickening hole in its claw still did nothing to deter the beast. It swung the outside of its mangled claw at me and used it to fling me into the remains of Exiim's ship.

My head collided against the metal and I saw stars. My vision shook and my ears rung as pain shot from my head to the rest of my blood. I laid their dumbly, I could feel nothing in my brain but rolling pain. It was as if I was unaware of my own body, let alone the Force. I came to my senses slowly. Seeing the drexl in the distance engaged in combat against my master and Master Towaan. I became aware of the hot metal behind me as parts of the ship continued to burn - thankfully not the part I was up against - but then a zakkeg filled my vision. I felt its hot, putrid breath against my skin but I could not bring my body to do anything about it, I was still unfocused and unbalanced after my impact with the ship. I tried to call on the Force but I couldn't do anything. I felt fear replace the pain in my mind as I realized this was how I was going to die, irrelevant and unknown, devoured by beasts.

The zakkeg snarled and I closed my eyes, knowing what was coming only to hear the sound of a lightsaber cutting through scales. I tore my eyes open and saw that Thonna had replaced the zakkeg. She stood over me, having just saved my life, and offered me her hand to help me up. I was about to take her hand when a missile tore through the air. Exiim Abarghe took advantage of the explosion and fired a rocket at the Twi'lek who presented herself as an obvious target by saving me. The explosion hit her straight in the gut and I managed to raise an arm to shield myself through the blow but the Twi'lek was sent flying unconscious right into the drexl. I looked around in panic, the beast had thrown my master around and now Ullara was crumpled up at the base of a tree while Master Towaan was reeling helplessly after the beast tore his arm open, blood gushing endlessly from his wound. The drexl turned Thonna around and my eyes widened as I realized what the beast was about to do. Thonna had saved my life and now she was about to get eaten by a monster.

_You are the only one that can help her._ Phanza's voice tore through my head, alerting me to the fact that I was connected with the Force once again. I did not stop to question why Lady Attam cared about me saving Thonna, instead, I focused on trying to saving my friend. I rose a hand and attempted to Force Push the beast away. The beast felt the air blowing against him, but he was so big and heavy that he stood strong. He turned to me again, seeking to eliminate this disturbance so he could feast. At least he was away from Padawan Ai'sunn now. I managed to get the monster to leave the Twi'lek alone, but, in saving her, I endangered my own life. Master Avdune and Master Towaan were incapacitated and Thonna was unconscious. I saved her, but there was no one here to save me.

_The Force is coursing through your veins, you have the power to stop this._ Phanza insisted but she was wrong. I just tried to use the Force but it didn't do any good. I wasn't in a condition to channel any more power or to do something complex like lifting the beast with the Force - that required a level of focus that I couldn't muster after getting thrown into the burning break of a ship by a deadly beast. I knew that the situation was hopeless but Lady Attam was still in my head, the Sith Lord trying to get me to save my own life. I must admit, I didn't think that she was so invested in the idea of turning me into her apprentice to actually care about me. _Raise your hand and let your care for your friends fill your mind. Your nature will save you all._

I rose my hand and followed Phanza's directions. I didn't want to follow a Sith Lord's directions but I didn't want to die either, especially because I knew that, once the beast was done with me, Ullara, Thonna, and Master Towaan were next. At first, nothing happened and the drexl was getting closer and closer, however, then something clicked. My want to save my friends mixed together with my frustrations over the Jedi and my guilt over failing to capture Exiim Abarghe and I felt an impossible amount of power coursing through my veins. I felt revitalized and I found myself rising to my fight, practically following my left hand as the power reached my fingertips and unleashed itself. I watched in horror as purple electricity left my hand and struck the beast. The drexl hollered as lightning halted it and fried his skin. I saw the pain and suffering and I knew that I was done something very, very wrong. I instantly cut off that lightning but the damage was done. The drexl fled back into the jungle and I turned to see Master Avdune pulling herself up by the bark of the tree she was thrown into. Her face was colored with fear and disappointment. I heard cackling laughter in my head as Phanza's intentions were revealed. She made me tap into the Dark Side.

The combined effect of the blow to my head, the exhaustion of doing more with the Force than I ever have before, and the realization of what I had just done all came together at once. I fainted and fell over. The last thing I saw before passing out was the red-skinned Nautolan with her large black eyes, sharp tattoos on her head-tails, and a smirk on her lips as she smirked before an elaborate throne. A red-skinned woman in black and purple robes sat on the throne. Her eyes glowed a bright red and her face had sharp, angular features and protrusions - it looked like her face itself was a weapon, covered with razor sharp protrusions that will tear apart her enemies - black hair flowed down to her shoulders. The woman appeared youthful but something about here exuded an ancient power. I faded off into unconsciousness as I believe I saw Phanza reporting her success to her master, the Grand Duchess Voytana, a woman of great power and great danger. Now, I had taken my first step to becoming someone like Lady Attam or Voytana, that was absolutely terrifying.

* * *

I woke up in a completely different environment.

I was laying in a medical berth aboard some sort of Republic vessel. Master Avdune and Thonna were with me. Ullara sat on the side of my bed, concern all over her face. She was clearly stressed out, having been confronted with her Padawan doing something completely unacceptable and then going unconscious for...I don't even know how long I've been out. Thonna was sat on a chair at the side of the birth, anxiously waiting for me to come to. Thonna did not seem to mind what I did. I could practically hear the argument in my head as Master Avdune lamented that she didn't know what to do and Thonna quietly objected that I saved their lives. I could see Master Avdune, in her disarray, snapping at the young Padawan. I imagined Thonna might reply somewhat more emphatically and openly in response, but Master Towaan would silence his Padawan. I wasn't sure if the situation actually played out that way, but from what I was able to pick up on already just as I was waking up, I could definitely see something along those lines occurring.

"She's waking up!" Thonna pointed out and Master Avdune seemed to cheer up a little bit that I was at least awake. I felt the two of them release a collective sigh of relief and I wanted to sit up. The violet-skinned Twi'lek and the the Mirialan watched me sitting up with a bit of worry - they were concerned that there might be some lingering issues left over from that hit I took - I reached behind my head and I felt fresh skin below my hair - they must have given me a kolto or bacta patch the heal the wound. I was glad about that, I didn't want to know how bad it was.

"What happened?" I asked. I had no idea what happened after I scared off the drexl or even how much time had passed. What happened to Exiim Abarghe? How long had I been unconscious? How did we end up on this Republic transport?

"After...after what happened with the drexl, I pursued Abarghe while Padawan Ai'sunn called for a medical transport for you and Master Towaan. The bounty hunter didn't have any traps left in him and I was able to incapacitate him after a shootout in the trees. We got on board this transport two days ago and Master Towaan recovered first. He is with the bounty hunter right now. Padawan Ai'sunn and I have been watching over you ever since. How are you feeling?" Master Avdune asked. I knew that she was going to ask about the lightning soon but I was relieved that she started with how I felt.

"I'm fine now, thank you." I responded before sighing, I decided to just get right into it and talk about what happened, just with the omission of Phanza - I had no idea what would happen if my master learned that Lady Attam was in my head telling me to use the Dark Side but I could only imagine that it would destroy the delicate peace between the Republic and the Grand Duchy of Taaszon. I told my master what was more or less the truth "I tried to Force push the drexl but I couldn't do anything and the beast turned to me. My head was ringing after the blow and I couldn't think of what I could do. Then I raised my left hand and just thought out saving you. After a moment, it all came naturally. Once I realized what I was doing, I cut it off immediately."

"You said it came naturally?" Master Avdune asked, suddenly very concerned. I nodded solemnly in reply. I thought back to Phanza's assertions that the Jedi knew about my true nature or whatever and that my true nature made me linked to the Dark Side...what if Lady Attam was telling the truth? I was scared that there was ultimately something to these Sith lies. After all, she told me that horrifying truths were better for the Sith than lies which could be easily proven wrong and dismissed. Master Avdune stayed silent and thoughtful for a long time before turning back to me "I understand that it was a mistake and that you were in a bad condition. I'm not going to report this to the Jedi Council and I am going to try and forget about this. Please Zaliza, don't let anything like this ever happen again. You have the potential to be a brilliant Jedi and I want nothing more than to smile proudly as you become a Jedi Knight. If something like this would ever happen again, we would both be in real trouble. I'll let you rest now."

Master Avdune walked out of the room, her words weighing hard on me. I made a massive mistake. I listened to a Sith and I gave in to the Dark Side - I did something that no Jedi should ever do and something that I never would have normally done - in the process, I not only jeopardized my own status as a Jedi but I made Ullara look bad as my master. This could never happen again. I exhaled and laid back down on my side while Thonna gently brushed my hair to comfort me. At very least we had captured Exiim Abarghe and we could bring him back to Coruscant. There, we would interrogate him and get the information necessary to end this war. Maybe we could finally salvage some good from all this and return to peace. It would be far easier to resist Phanza in a peaceful galaxy where I don't have to use the Force as a weapon - after all, the Sith are masters at militarizing the Force. All of that didn't matter, soon enough, Generals Kenobi and Skywalker would rescue the Chancellor and, with Palpatine back and Exiim Abarghe in custody, we will have everything we need to usher in a new era of peace in the galaxy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big events are coming up. In retrospect, had I written this chapter today, I would've liked to reference Ahsoka and Mandalore, but, unfortunately, hindsight is twenty-twenty.


	8. The Outer Rim Sieges

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things start moving quickly here as Ullara and zaliza journey to another original planet.

Act I.

The Last Days of The Jedi Order.

Chapter VIII.

The Outer Rim Sieges.

* * *

"I am delighted to see you well my Chancellor! We have the criminal in custody!" Master Towaan said in his odd speech mannerism as we meant the Chancellor, shaken but well, on the platform. Master Windu and Master Yoda were with him, making sure that he was still safe. Evidently, General Skywalker received quite the welcome when he brought the Chancellor back, but neither Skywalker, nor Master Kenobi were around at the moment. I disagreed with the Chancellor, however, I was glad to see that he was okay. This audacious separatist raid was repelled and Count Dooku himself perished in the battle. We turned a devastating separatist assault into a resounding Republic victory. Hopefully, the loss of their head of state and increasing desperation would force the separatists to call for peace, though I am sure that General Grievous will attack and flee as long as he is able to.

"Thank you, Master Towaan, with Exiim Abarghe in Republic custody, we will be one step closer to bringing this war to an end." the Chancellor replied. His voice was innocuous and he wore a gentle, friendly smile on his face, however, his words stunned the group of Jedi around him. The Council assumed we would be playing a part in Abarghe's interrogation, especially given that the Chancellor had only just returned after being captured and skidding across a runway in the half a separatist capital ship. Predictably, Master Windu was the one to speak up first, confronting the Chancellor.

"With all due respect, Supreme Chancellor, we think the Jedi should take the lead in this interrogation. You should rest." Master Windu objected, but his voice did noticeably soften at the end there, he legitimately wanted the Chancellor to take some time off to relax and recover after his kidnapping. There probably is an ulterior motive that the Jedi Council will use the opportunity to bring the war to a close and, if possible, take away some of the Chancellor's more outrageous powers, however, I believe that Master Windu does have some genuine compassion for the Chancellor. Perhaps not as professionals, but as people, I think there has to be some mutual respect, even if I get the feeling that much of the Council, Master Windu in particular, does not enjoy working with Chancellor Palpatine. The Chancellor, however, did not seem to take heed of Master Windu's suggestions.

"I am fine, Master Jedi. Besides, my kidnapper, General Grievous is still at large and the war is still raging in the Outer Rim. I need my Jedi friends now more than ever. We are at a fateful junction for the future of the Republic and the Jedi." the Chancellor replied. Evidently, he wanted to get right back to work and send the Jedi back out to the front, going out to bring an end to the war. We didn't like it, however, in the end, we did indeed hand over Exiim Abarghe to the Chancellor and the Grand Army of the Republic. Master Yoda sighed profoundly as the Chancellor, a squadron of red and white armored clone troopers, and our prisoner marched away. We turned to the wise, green Jedi Master as he voiced his thoughts.

"Much power, the Chancellor has. Surrender it easily, he will not, I fear." Master Yoda stated. I was inclined to agree with him, but I did not voice my opinions. At this point, I just wanted the war to be over, whatever happens afterwards, the Jedi Order can deal with it. Master Avdune and I would be given a few days to rest at the Temple before we were inevitably sent back out into the field, this time with the now thoroughly rested and ready 1204th Clone Battalion, to fight some more pointless battles and experience some more horrible deaths. This would be the worst phase of the war, the separatists were desperate and it seemed that Grievous was now their leader, their tactics would be brutal and uncivilized whilst we would essentially be fighting a sanctioned revenge mission on Chancellor Palpatine's behalf. He would seize yet more power and more control until Grievous is brought to justice. Of course, before Grievous, Count Dooku had been the target, so perhaps the Chancellor will keep the war going and going until every last separatist is crushed by the supposed heroes.

* * *

_Exiim Abarghe was quietly executed last night._ I heard Phanza's voice in my head once again as I woke up on board the _Sage._ We were leaving Coruscant in order to take control of the Battle of Ypherro. My eyes were wide open at the Sith Lord's words. I couldn't believe this, we had just left Coruscant, the bounty hunter is in questioning, he has to be. The Chancellor needs his information to bring a swift end to the war, there is no benefit to executing him, especially given that the bounty hunter has already fallen out with the separatists. He wouldn't serve as an example. All his death would accomplish is hurting the Republic. There is no way the Chancellor would do that, sure he wants power and he likely has friends in the military-industrial complex that profit greatly off of this war, but that didn't mean that he was going to actively sabotage the Republic victory. Surely the Sith Lord had to be lying.

"You lie!" I cried out but it came out sounding far less certain that I had wanted it to. Why wasn't I certain? There was no logical reason for Exiim Abarghe to be executed. As bad as the Chancellor could be, it's not like he wanted to lose this war. Maybe he wants to prolong it, sure, but then he could drag out the interrogations to let vital contracts be signed and let emergency powers go through, then use Abarghe's inside knowledge to end the war. Having Abarghe executed was harming the Republic war effort, retroactively wasting resources, and potentially incriminating himself, there is no way the Chancellor would do this. It simply doesn't make sense. The only people who would want to see Exiim Abarghe dead are the separatists and, with Count Dooku dead, their leadership is questionable at best. To be able to arrange an execution on Coruscant would be nigh unthinkable, even with the Sith Lord Dooku at the helm of it, with Grievous in charge? Impossible. Perhaps this is the work of the second Sith Lord, the one we know less about. That could be it, after all, that could be Exiim Abarghe's secret to end the war, perhaps he knew something about Dooku's Master and thus the Dark Lord had him killed.

Of course, there were problems with that idea too. If the Dark Lord of the Sith has the ability to arrange an execution on Coruscant, why only use it to kill one man? Why not use that power and access to attack the Jedi or seize control of the Senate? Not to mention the fact that this Sith is secretly in charge of the separatists and used Dooku as his public figure head, that means that this Sith Lord was in charge of the kidnapping of the Chancellor. If the Sith is able to have Abarghe executed, why didn't the Sith use his apparently abundant contacts on Coruscant to kidnap the Chancellor that way? Perhaps the Sith did not want to reveal his network of contacts on the Republic capital just yet and was planning something even greater, but what could possibly be greater than kidnapping Chancellor Palpatine himself? This idea didn't quite explain everything either. Also, just how did Phanza Attam know about this when the Jedi didn't? What did she have a comprehensive spy network in the Republic that knew more about our own faction than we did? ...Alright well I suppose that is possible. Lady Attam and her Sith faction clearly know far more about the Republic and the separatists alike than either of us know about them.

_Must I tell you again? A devastating truth is far more effective than an easy lie. Abarghe is dead and the Chancellor orchestrated it. He used his favorite executioners for the job too. Executioners stationed throughout the galaxy._ Phanza giggled maniacally before fading away from my mind once again. The Jedi killed Exiim Abarghe? That seemed to make even less sense than the rest of it, however, considering everything that's happened in the Clone Wars, it's no question that the Jedi have become Chancellor Palpatine's favorite executioners. I mean, the only reason that Jedi Generals and their Clone companions don't have kill counts in the thousands are that the separatists are almost entirely reliant on an army of battle droids. Who would possibly execute a bounty hunter on the Chancellor's behalf? I figured that Master Windu would be the Jedi most open to committing an execution, but even then, that doesn't mean he would actually do it and Mace's tense working relationship with Palpatine likely means that we would never commit an execution for the Chancellor, even if he would willingly do it under other circumstances. General Skywalker may do it, but I haven't heard of him having anything to do with the Abarghe situation whatsoever. Of course, Lady Attam wasn't going to give me any further answers, so I was left trying to figure this out all on my own. This was the state that Master Avdune found me in when she entered my quarters.

"Oh...I thought I heard you talking to someone." Ullara said when she found me all alone in bed on the opposite end of the room from my holocommunicator. I suppose that she overheard my outburst replying to Lady Attam. An outburst rendered completely useless by the fact that, when fully connected through the Force, Lady Attam seemed to be able to hear my thoughts. I have yet to manage to reach that same level.

"Sorry Master, I was having a bad dream and I kind of overreacted." I replied, it wasn't exactly a lie. I'm sure most Jedi would consider a Sith Lord communicating with them in their sleep to be an absolute nightmare. I was only putting up with Phanza because I was certain I could avoid the Dark Side and because I didn't know how to sever this connection on my own. If the circumstances were different, I could ask my master and the other Jedi for help, however, the way things are, I can't do that without risking harm to the people of Taaszon. It is clear that the people of the Grand Duchy are, for whatever reason, happy with their Sith government and it is clear that Lady Attam and her faction are not going down without a fight. If I revealed the fact that the Sith were actively trying to convert a Jedi Padawan, I would be bringing the war to Taaszon. I could no longer say that Chancellor Palpatine wouldn't love a war against a new Sith enemy beyond known space, simply to increase military spending, the size of the Republic, and seize more emergency powers. The people of that Grand Duchy would suffer, the Jedi would be thrown into yet another pointless war before we've even finished this one, and the only real winner would be Palpatine. This situation was bigger than me, I had the power to resist the Dark Side alone and, in doing so, I had the power to prevent another conflict.

"I understand Zaliza..." Master Avdune said as she sat down next to me on my bed and her green eyes looked into my purple ones "You're mad at yourself, aren't you? You're terrified of what you may become after that lightning incident, aren't you? Well the fact that you regret it is a good sign. You know reaching into that dark power is road to pain, suffering, and hatred. You know that and you can resist it. If you ever believe that, for even a second, that you might slip up again and fall to the Dark Side, please, tell me. I will do everything in my power to help you and guide you back towards the light."

My master thought I was more affected by the Force Lightning incident than I actually was. I was about to correct her about that, however, I then realized something very crucial. Phanza Attam was a stubborn woman and the red-skinned Nautolan would no doubt try and keep turning me over to the Dark Side, I was confident that I could stop her, however, that incident on Dxun gave me a convenient excuse to ask my master for help if Lady Attam ever gets to me again. I had someone to help me through this, even if I couldn't tell my master everything. This was exactly what I needed.

"Thank you Master, I'll keep that in mind." I sincerely thanked my master before turning onto my side and attempting to sleep again. To my surprise, I felt my master slip under the covers behind me. I felt her long, green legs tangle together with mine and I felt her comfortable arms around my waist. I heard her breathing, I felt her heart beating, and, through the Force, her presence of light drowned out Lady Attam in my head. Being so close to my Jedi Master was like being protected by a bulwark guarding against the darkness of the Sith. I felt warm and safe. Lady Attam did not dare trouble me again once Master Avdune fell asleep together. Master and apprentice alike would be well rested and fully focused once we arrived on Ypherro.

* * *

An armada of LAAT gunships and transports tore through the clouds and arrived on the distant outer rim world of Ypherro. Raindrop after raindrop battered the roof above us as we approached the separatist positions on the stormy, mountainous jungle world. Master Avdune, the clones, and I held on tight as our gunship veered to the right and then back to the left as anti-aircraft guns targeted us. The separatists took the bait. Directly above the now exposed separatist positions, Y-wing bombers dived down from the sky, approaching the separatists at massive speed before pulling up, simultaneously releasing their payload. The bombers veered off and retreated to the _Sage_ , the _Tython,_ and the _Coruscant Temple_ hidden just above the clouds in the upper atmosphere. The gunship fired its missiles at separatist position on top of a natural arch before diving through the opening below. The main separatist command center was directly ahead. Battle Droids, missiles, and cannons filled the skies ahead of us as our gunship swooped in to land on a landing pad set up on an outer ring surrounding the compound. Master Avdune and I activated our lightsabers and lead the charge with W-squadron and a group of clones in specialized, jungle-camo armor.

I used the Force to throw a fuel canister into a crab droid before using the twin blades of my purple saberstaff to deflect laser bolts from a group of defending B1 and B2 Battle Droids. Master Avdune, in her element and clearly feeling reinvigorated after last night, spearheaded the charge. My master kicked down the leg of B1 battle droid and destroyed it with a Force-amplified punch to the chest before decapitating another with her green lightsaber. Rising to her full height, she appeared elegant and confident as she rose a hand and Force pushed a group of Super Battle Droids, watching the slip over the edge as their metal feet were incapable of getting any traction on the slippery surface out here in the rain.

Simultaneously, W-squadron proved just why they were the most important element of the 1204th. Warden gave cover fire with his rotary cannon along with Witchcraft on his sniper rifle as the rest of the squad pushed forward across the bridge linking the landing pad with the rest of the command center. Commander Warlock slid onto his back and used his knife to stab a crab droid in the eye before spinning over onto his front and unloading his blaster in full auto into the backs of a pair of Super Battle droids. Armed with a full length blaster rifle, Williams took cover behind a crate over where Warlock had ended up, blasting B1 Battle Droids in their stupid, tall necks. Wishlist arrived next to him and the squad's second-in-command rolled a droid popper out into the remaining group of droids. The water on the platform served as an excellent conductor as the EMP grenade fried the droids. The way ahead clear, Winch sprinted ahead to deactivate a ray shield the defenders activated to keep us out of the command center itself. The camouflaged commandos, eager to demonstrate their usefulness, didn't wait for Winch. They fired their grappling hooks up to the roof and then used those ropes to swing around the ray shield onto the second floor balcony above. I heard the commotion as the commandos set up a perimeter on the second floor, facing significant resistance from the separatists within.

Winch got the door open quickly and we rushed in to the first floor of the compound. A commando droid ambushed me with its knife but the rear blade of my double-bladed lightsaber found its chest and deactivated it. I then swung for a second droid but it leaped back and punched at me. I dodged the punch and went to cut off the droid's arms but he was quick, though not quite quick enough. I managed to cut off the droid's hand and, thinking it was partially disarmed, I stood back up and went for a killing strike, but the droid wasn't finished quite yet. The commando droid punched me with its right stub before grabbing a plaster with its left hand, seeking to blast me point blank. I quickly used my hand to Force push him against the wall, sending his shot out wide, harmlessly hitting the ceiling. The droid was not as lucky, falling apart when it collided with the metal wall. Another commando droid took a shot at me but I caught it with my lightsaber and deflected it back at me, striking him in the bottom of the face. He was still operational, but even a droid could be stunned by getting the lower half of its face shot off. Commander Warlock shot him dead not a moment later. I scanned the room again, finding no more commando droids. We were left with just a Super Tactical Droid and a group of Neimoidians, who would no doubt claim to be here, in a separatist command center on a distant world, on neutral Trade Confederation business. Nevertheless, until they plead their blatantly false case to the Senate, they would be Republic prisoners. Meanwhile, One of the clone commandos came down and deactivated the Super Tactical Droid. We did not take droid prisoners, we deactivated them and took their processors for lab examination.

"General Avdune to Republic Cruiser _Sage_ : our decapitation strike was successful, the command center is taken. We will clean up here before fanning out to other pockets of resistance." Master Avdune reported to our flagship. The Battle of Ypherro had begun and the Republic could not hope to start a battle in a better way. An ambitious and powerful attack has left the remaining separatist positions disorganized and cut off from each other. Now it was just a matter of consolidating our hold on the command center, learning all we can about the separatist operations here, and then spreading out to put an end to them. It remains to be seen how easy that would actually be, after all, looking out the windows to the hilly jungle outside, I see separatist camps and defenses hidden everywhere. In fact, I watched as a whole series of separatist gun batteries came to life out of nowhere to target our ships in the skies. Bombers flew over them and obliterated their position but, seeing turned into hell fire didn't exactly improve my expectations for the Battle of Ypherro. It would be yet another lengthy siege in the Outer Rim.

* * *

The elevator reached the upper levels of the command center and Warlock, Wishlist, Williams, and Winch scanned the room with their blasters. Witchcraft, Warden, and the clone commandos were still on the first two levels, holding the command center. We were searching the upper levels for any remaining separatist forces or vital information - after all, if Lady Attam was right, the Republic would need new intelligence on the separatists, information the Jedi would have to see first. I still found it hard to believe that such a crucial source of information was just executed, but, once Phanza put the thought in my head, I've been incapable of getting that idea out of it - however, this spire didn't seem to contain anything of value. Warlock activated the light on his helmet and led our group up a spiral staircase leading higher up, towards the communication array on the top of it.

We circled around and around before reaching the highest level of the compound. The clones swung around to cover Winch and the two of us Jedi stood at the ready with our lightsabers. Winch got to work hacking the communication array, trying to dig up any remaining information. The clone medic, mechanic, and technician had many responsibilities, but he was damn good at those jobs. He was into the separatist system on Ypherro in just a few moments, however, as soon as he cracked it, it became clear that the separatists had a trap waiting for us. Six droidekas were released from cranes on the ceiling. Master Avdune, the clones, and I got ready for a fight.

The destroyer droids activated their shields and were prepared to massacre us in tight confines, but we were an elite fighting Force. Wishlist passed around droid poppers and our clones rolled them through the shields where they knocked out the droids. Meanwhile, Master Avdune and I did our best to deflect the laser bolts. Fortunately, the droid poppers worked past and our clones had perfect timing - rolling the grenades gently enough for them to pass through the shields, fast enough to save us, but just slow enough to not bounce harmlessly off their shields. The droidekas were electrocuted and deactivated without much trouble and Winch was able to crack into their network. Unfortunately, before we could find anything useful, a coded message tore through the separatists coms - a coded message of the coming separatist counterattack on the command center.

"Ambush!" Warden cried through the comlink just as we got the news. The clones rushed to get the elevator heading down again while Master Avdune and I peaked through a window, seeing the separatist counter attack in full force. Vulture droids filled the skies, battling against our gunships, Y-wings, and ARC-170 starfighters. Separatist AAT tanks trudged through the jungle, flanked by legions of B1 and B2 battle droids. Our bombers unleashed hell on them whenever they could and all our clones were landed and put to work defending the command center, however, as quickly as we knocked them down, more and more separatists poured out of the jungle to hold the line.

The clones finally got the elevator working and the two of us joined them. An explosion shook the spire as we headed down but the elevator held steady - the fighting is getting bad out there - it seems our move may have been a bit too ambitious. We managed to capture the command center based on the element of surprise and overwhelming odds, however, with the bulk of the separatist forces on Ypherro rushing here to undo our progress, we may very well be pushed back. Master Avdune and I would do everything we can to prevent that, but, if the cost of clone lives is too great, we will retreat to a more tenable position. We wanted to keep this position, but, if we want anyone in the galaxy to take our claim as peace keepers seriously after all we've done in this war, we absolutely cannot treat clone lives as expendable. The elevator reached the ground levels as Master Avdune and I steeled ourselves. We would fight hard and valiantly and, however this battle ends, we know that we are going to do the right thing for the sake of our men.

We joined Warden as he charged out of the base with his rotary cannon spinning into action. Up above, Witchcraft was laying prone on the second level, acting as our sniper. Warden's laser bolts cut the droid lines to pieces and the rest of W squadron, along with the clone commandos, got to work dropping as many clankers as they possibly could. I sprang into action myself, swinging my double-bladed lightsaber through a group of Super Battle Droids. I Force pushed down a legion of B1 battle droids and dragged my lightsaber through the remaining stragglers. I watched as a tank aimed its guns at me, however, I found there was no reason to worry - a LAAT gunship's gunner melted the tank with a laser beam. I looked up gratefully at the gunship only to see it shot down by a Vulture droid, careening off into the jungle to the east. The loss of life hurt, but I had no time to dwell on it - such was the horror of warfare, even the Jedi, those who were attuned to all living things, could grow desensitized to death. It was almost a requirement when the galaxy pitted droids against clones. The Jedi felt the clones were individual and alive through the Force, but the rest of the galaxy was not as empathetic. Much of the Republic and most of the Senate saw clones as nothing more than disposable products. I leaped back into the fray, cutting down battle droids wherever I could, eventually finding myself back to back with Master Avdune.

We had both pushed deep into the separatist lines, perhaps too deep, as we were now being surrounded. Commando droids appeared out of nowhere, attacking us. I caught one's blade before it could attack me and then slashed it in half. I amplified the Force through my foot and kicked the droid's head off by the neck. I pulled another Commando droid towards us with the Force, allowing Ullara to raise her green lightsaber into the air and cut the droid in half. The Mirialan brought her green lightsaber back down and cut yet another droid clean in half vertically. I swung at the last one with my lightsaber but it hopped backwards, only to land on the corpse of a Super Battle Droid. The droid fell over and I lunged at it with my purple blade, the Commando droid rolled out of the way. The black, armored up derivative of the B1 design rose to a kneeling position and was going to attack me with its blade again while Master Avdune impaled it with her lightsaber. We functioned well as a team, however, no matter how well we were doing, we were still in a bad position, being overrun by battle droids.

An AAT tank advanced towards us, coming out of the woods to crush us. Master Avdune and I ran away from it to buy us more time, only to find the tank starting to fire - we couldn't run because we would end up in its cannons' range, but we couldn't stay here without getting crushed by a hover tank. Hover tank! I dropped to the ground and, my master, seeing my lead, followed suit. We waited for the tank to hover over us before activating our lightsabers, cutting twin paths deep into its undercarriage. We watched as the hover tank floated past us and a bit further before starting to fail. The damage was too much though and, soon enough, the tank was incapacitated after its internals blew themselves to pieces. Master Avdune and I spun back up to our feet, only to be faced with even more advancing battle droids as the seemingly endless counterattack waged on and on.

"It's time to retreat, isn't it?" I asked my master, seeing we were faced with insurmountable odds. Master Avdune seemed to want to agree with me, however, she hesitated for just a moment. Her hesitation proved to be decisive because the _Sage,_ the _Coruscant Temple,_ and the _Tython_ broke through the clouds. Suddenly, the sky was filled with more than just rain and lightning as laser fire tore down on the separatist attack. Three Venator-class Star Destroyers turned the tide and beat the separatists into submission. Soon enough, the droids who were left standing retreated, fleeing back to their positions. There must have been thousands of those droids trying to retake the command center. Those were overwhelming odds and the separatists should have retaken this position, but the awesome power of our flagships turned the tide. They really did earn the name Star Destroyers. The three ships annihilated the counter attack and reduced a whole section of jungle to nothing but flaming ruin. It rained and it rained but the fires still burned. If we were much further through the separatists lines, we would have been caught up in the blast too. That would be an absolutely tragedy, to have Jedi killed by Republic weapons. I shook off that discomforting thought, these Star Destroyers were on our side and the clones were our true companions - we cared for them - we were true allies and always would be.

* * *

"We tracked the separatist transmission to six locations: two mines, a mountain stronghold, a Vulture droid nest, a fortified cave complex, and...well, the last position is a bit harder to identify. It's a titanic circular fortress of some sort and whatever is going on there is classified." Winch reported, telling us the information he got from the communication spire just before the separatist counter attack. Mines were to be expected, after all, Ypherro was an unpopulated and distant world, the only benefit from such a planet would be mining it dry for resources. The separatists were in desperate need of resources, they were fighting the same exhausting and endless war we were in and they had to do it with the less valuable, less populous half of the galaxy. Many of largest battles in the Clone Wars revolved around the separatists trying to grab valuable worlds they could use for resources to prolong this war. With Dooku dead and the separatists clearly growing desperate, we had to imagine that the end of the war was near, but, when fighting an enemy who only fights with droids and does not care for the suffering of the common people who pay for those droids, it is difficult to make a peace. The vulture droid nest also made sense, given how many of those damned things filled the skies in the early stages of the battle. The strongholds were there to solidify separatist control over the planet and its mines. I had to imagine Master Avdune and I would be heading for the circular fortress, after all, it is the largest and most mysterious of the targets, which, with the separatists, usually meant bad things.

"We believe that, without theses positions, the separatists will be unable to hold onto Ypherro." Commander Warlock capped off Winch's statement, showing that W squadron really do stick together. It did make sense though, the command center was already lost, defended, and our position was now consolidated. Ypherro was now blockaded by our three Star Destroyers, so the separatists had no way of adding new droids to the world - something which would seriously hurt them after that orbital bombardment. The world would be under Republic control once we took these positions, even if we would still have to hunt down a couple of remaining droid stragglers. The Battle of Ypherro would deny the separatists resources and take control of this sector of the outer rim.

"Thank you Winch, Commander Warlock," Master Avdune thanked the clones before announcing our plans "Commander Vyvan and I will lead W squadron to this strange circular fortress with the commandos. I want two dispatch a gunship each to the mines, three to the mountain stronghold, two to the cave complex, and I want our ARC fighters to bomb the Vulture droid nest. I want the rest of the clones to remain here at the command center. If anyone calls for help, send an appropriate response, just make sure that there are enough clones here to protect this place in case of any other droid attempts to retake it."

I was no fan of warfare, but I found it admirable how Master Avdune - or perhaps I should say General Avdune in this context - planned the battle and orchestrated the whole Siege of Ypherro. Predictably, we were going to the circular fortress, partially as an investigation, partially in order to take the position. The Republic war machine mobilized and, soon enough, gunships, starfighters, and countless clone troopers fanned out to win the Battle of Ypherro. A crushing surprise attack turned to near defeat at the hands of the separatist droid armies, however, one orbital bombardment turned that all around. Now, we were victorious once again and we were about to push for six more victories in order to take this world. I was glad to have won, however, our victory was a chilling display of Republic technology and coordination, so much devastation and destruction caused by a group of people under the command of the Jedi. This war has changed us. I looked at our loyal troops being sent off to battle, I looked at the jungle still burning after the bombardment, and I looked at the pile of droid skeletons gathered up south of the command center to be torched - seeing just how many of them wore lightsaber scars - and I realized that Phanza was probably right. The Jedi were Palpatine's favorite executioners and Exiim Abarghe probably was dead, executed by a Jedi, just like countless battle droids were. I couldn't help but wonder how easily we would be killing separatist forces if they were people rather than droids. Then I thought about R9-W3 and how I always felt my droid had personality. What really is the difference between a person and the countless battle droids Master Avdune and I have slaughtered? I felt worse about fighting a war for the Republic than I did about using Force Lightning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was talking to a friend about the tension in the Order 66 episode of Clone Wars season seven, the building dread leading up to the order, and, in this chapter and the next, I hope I managed to capture a similar feeling. I wrote this while the Bad Batch arc was coming out and, obviously, Clone Wars has better writers than me, but I do hope that you see what I'm trying to capture and can appreciate it.


	9. Order 66

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at the chapter name and look at the archive warnings. That is as much as I will say without spoilers.

Act I.

The Last Days of The Jedi Order.

Chapter IX.

Order 66.

* * *

A lightning flash tore through the jungle as we gathered around the perimeter of the circular separatist fortress. There was a two story metal frame surrounding it and, as Winch confirmed with the highly specialized method of throwing a rock at it, an invisible ray-shield surrounding the base. The flash of the lightning wore off and Williams and the clone commandos turned on their rifle-mounted flashlights, giving Winch even lighting to do his job. A clone commando tossed our mechanic a specialized, experimental spray. Winch sprayed the solution onto the ray-shield, causing the material to become a glass-like solid. Winch made a solid doorway about seven feet tall and four feet across before setting the spray down. Winch then knelt down with a silent drill, cutting into the glass, making a smaller entrance through it, leaving a substantial amount of glass along the edge - removing all the glass would just lead to ray-shields refilling that area, an edge had to be left in order to keep the shield out of our entrance. The clone removed the glass and the flashlights turned off, then we went single file through the entrance, first the commandos, then Master Avdune and I, and then W-squadron, led by Commander Warlock. Witchcraft picked up the spray bottle and shot a grappling line up to the second level platform, spraying a line of glass up with him. The sniper was going to cover us while we investigated this mysterious installation. We would keep this a stealth mission as long as possible.

"Witchcraft, what do you see up there?" Master Avdune asked through the commlink, wishing to know the layout within these walls. Master Avdune and I were here because this is the largest and most obscure of the separatist positions - we've never seen a separatist position arranged in this way, nor do we have any idea what this base could possibly be. We identified the mines, we identified the vulture droid nest, and the command center. This area could just be a fortress to hold control of the planet, but we already deduced that the cave complex was a defensive position, the separatists did not have the resources for redundant defenses at this stage of the Clone Wars. I took amount to tap into the Force, seeing what I could feel - though, given that droids weren't lifeforms and there devoid of the Force, I wasn't sure what exactly I was looking for - I didn't feel anything, other than my Master and the clones, which made sense given the circumstances, however, it only contributed to making this situation feel that more ominous. Lightning tore across the cloudy night sky as it continued pouring rain through the night here on Ypherro.

"There are two structures. One is a tower drawing in the lightning, it seems to be the structure powering the ray-shields, it's offset to the northwest. The other structure is in the exact middle of the compound looks like...a smaller version of the whole base. I don't see any droids, neither through eyesight or through the scanner built into my scope. General...just what is going on here?" Witchcraft asked. Warlock's young protégé, the talented sniper, was feeling uneasy, just like I was. I think we were all feeling this way by now, this compound is just getting weirder and weirder - why would the separatists devout such a larger base to nothing but a tower and some sort of little replica of itself? This didn't make sense, just what the hell was going on here?

"I don't know, but we're going to have to find out. Watch over us Witchcraft, I think this is some sort of trap. Commander Warlock, Padawan Vyvan, I wanted you to turn off the ray-shields, the rest of us are going to investigate the inner circle. Meet up with us once you're done." Master Avdune ordered, the Mirialan was furrowing her brows, she knew there was something very wrong with this situation. In any case, my clone counterpart and I started heading over to the tower, explaining why there were so many flashes of lightning in the sky over here. We reached the base of the tower and circled it before finding a control panel. Commander Warlock set his blaster down and pulled out a new weapon. A modified commando droid blade, electrified, coated in a black, cortosis material - one of the strongest metals in the galaxy, one which even lightsabers could resist - and decorated in purple.

"New toy?" I asked the clone, a bemused expression on my face.

"Yes ma'am, I figured there's only so many times a commando droid can attack me with one of these damned blades before I start giving them a taste of their own medicine." Commander Warlock countered before getting to work, prying the control panel open. I watched as he electrified his blade and stabbed it into the tower, overloading it and shutting it down. The tower was meant to absorb lightning, but there is a difference between absorbing lightning through the top of the tower where it is supposed to, going through coils and being managed before heading through it, and just stabbing an electrified blade deep into the wires and guts of the tower. I suppose I could have done the same with my lightsaber, however, Warlock did the job just fine and now we could head back to our fellow troops. The lightning stopped hitting the tower, the ray-shields went away, and the installation was now wide open for us. If this was truly a separatist trap and we were overwhelmed, we could now send work to the command center and have an armada of Republic gunships over the base in mere moments. Knowing that such a trap was a distinct possibility, Commander Warlock and I headed towards the inner circle in the center of the compound, eager to regroup with our allies. We didn't get the chance, however, as deactivating the tower seemed to spring the trap "Get down!"

Warlock pushed me down, behind a metal barricade. My purple eyes looked over to where we had just been and saw a missile strike directly there, blowing wet mud into the air. I used the Force to blow the mud off my face and then rose up to a crouch, looking over the edge of the barrier. Eight B2 Rocket Trooper droids arrived to fight us, another group flying off to fight my master and the other clones at the inner circle. The inner circle seemed to have been some sort of elevator, as regular infantry droids were fighting them, along with these rare and specialized jetpack droids. My master and the clones would have to manage on their own for now, we had a fight on our hands. I activated my purple saberstaff and Warlock readied his blaster rifle.

"Thanks for saving me Warlock." I told him before leaping into the fight. He was a clone, sure, but he was also an individual, a person with free will, fully capable of making his own decisions, of forging friendships, and of sacrifice. Warlock knew he could have died to save me and he tried to do it anyway - that is a loyalty that cannot be programmed, that is a genuine loyalty. I pushed with the Force, putting a droid into the mud before it could blast me. One of its comrades looked back at the droid - perhaps this was some sort of sentience from the battle droids as well, perhaps they were capable of companionship as well - I didn't dwell on it too much, I couldn't, not in a war - I cut across the droid who looked back and swiped at a droid to the left, however, that one activated his jetpack and flew over my strike. From above, that battle droid unleashed his cannons. I rolled out of the way, away from his blasts, stopping only once Warlock disabled the droid with a single shot to the head. I ended up next to the droid I had pushed into the mud earlier, struggling to get up from the mud. I rested a hand on his metal chassis with the Force. I used my hand like a magnet, locking onto the metal shell of the droid. I jerked my hand to the left and then to the right, crushing the droid's internals with its own chassis, finishing it off. Three droids were down, two by me, one by Warlock, we had five more to go.

I moved up to the next droid and stabbed with my lightsaber, using the long handle of my double-bladed weapon for greater reach. That disabled the droid, meanwhile, Warlock managed to land a droid popper on one of the B2's chassis. One droid backed away, coming close enough to me that I was able to cut it down, another, smarter one, flew into the air to get out of the EMP grenades range, however, the final two were not so lucky. Warlock's grenade electrocuted two droids at once. Now all that was left was the one in the air. I grabbed it with the Force to halt it, giving Warlock a clear shot to take it down. The two of us ducked down behind the barrier yet again to catch our breath and reload before heading back into the fight to help my master and her clones against the remaining separatist forces. We were just about ready to go when Warlock got an emergency communication through his holocommunicator. I reached for mine as well, but it wasn't beeping. Strange. I watched silently as Commander Warlock activated his, surprised to see a vision of Chancellor Palpatine in robes and a hood. Looking more closely, I could see that, even through the blue hologram, his features seemed different. He looked gray and deformed...had something happened? Also, why was the Chancellor of the Republic contacting a mere clone commander? Why not Master Avdune? This was very strange indeed.

"Commander Warlock, the time has come. Execute Order 66." Chancellor Palpatine stated, it was like he loved every single word he was saying. What did this mean? Why was the Chancellor giving an order to Commander Warlock in particular while we were in the middle of a battle? Just what was this Order 66 anyway. Right before shimmering away, I could swear I saw the Chancellor glance over at me, seeing my confusion. I watched his expression twist into a gruesome smirk before his blue image disappeared. Palpatine's smirk made me recoil away from Warlock's shoulder - I wanted to be as far away from that hologram as possible. I didn't know what was going on, but after that smirk, I knew, whatever it was, it wasn't good.

"It will be done, my lord." my confusion only grew as Commander Warlock replied to the apparently now disfigured Chancellor the same way that Phanza's underlings referred to the Sith Lord. The ominous tone that the clone took on didn't help matters either, I was now very uncomfortable. I knew it was probably a complete overreaction, but something made me want to reach for my lightsaber. I waited for a long moment for Warlock to turn around, hoping he would turn back, return to his normal voice, and ask if I was ready to attack the separatists. I hoped that Order 66 was just some mundane nothingness that Warlock could deal with it later, all the while I was well aware that the Chancellor of The Galactic Republic himself would not devote himself to mundane nothingness. My eyes widened as I saw Warlock, slowly but methodically, reach for his electrified blade. I rocketed up to my feet and my lightsaber came to life as Warlock turned around and rose up in a flash, attacking me with his electrified cortosis blade. His blade really could survive a lightsaber, he proved that much.

"Warlock! What are you doing!?" I asked, hoping to get the clone to stand down. All I got in reply was a war cry before the commander attacked me again. His electrified commando droid blade met the front blade of my purple lightsaber. It quickly became apparent that Warlock was actually trying to kill me whereas I was just trying to neutralize him - I didn't want to kill him, the clone just saved my life - I thought back to the call from Palpatine. Warlock was my loyal clone ally until he got that order, was this Order 66 an order to kill me? Why would Chancellor Palpatine want that? I didn't do anything to him...unless...could this be him cleaning up loose ends from the Exiim Abarghe execution? Did he somehow find out that Phanza told me? Did Phanza tell him? I didn't know, the look Palpatine gave me only complicated matters. Then again, he never mentioned my name...what if it's just not me? I glanced over to Master Avdune as I locked blades with Commander Warlock. My eyes widened as I saw that, despite having beat the droids, the clones were raising their blasters once again, this time, against Master Avdune, who had her back to them. This isn't just about me, this is a plot to destroy the Jedi! I cried out to Ullara "Master! They betrayed us!"

Warlock kicked me in the stomach, pushing me back into the mud. I didn't have the chance to stumble to me feet so I just brought my lightsaber up, blocking Warlock's blade. Once again locked in combat against the clone, I glanced over to see a green lightsaber activate, blocking blaster bolts from...from Wishlist, Williams, Winch, and Warden. W-squadron had betrayed us, the clone commandoes had betrayed us, all because of one order from Chancellor Palpatine. I snapped back to attention when I noticed Warlock overpowering me, pushing my own lightsaber blade closer and closer to my chest. I couldn't beat him in a strength to strength fight - I had to tap into the Force. I reached out only to wish that I hadn't - I felt the simultaneous executions of thousands of Jedi slapping me back out of it. I felt the once vibrant personalities of the clones reduced to almost nothing, as if they were muted. Palpatine must have had a way to control the clones, to rob them of their independence and turn them into killing machines. Killing machines which he unleashed upon the Jedi. Killing machines which killed Exiim Abarghe. Killing machines which Lady Attam warned me about. The Jedi were not Palpatine's favorite executioners, that distinction belonged to the clones, and now, now they were being used against us.

I pushed past the time of thousands of Jedi being killed at once, I pushed past the pain and suffering in the Jedi Temple, I pushed past the dying screams of Jedi Masters who I knew and cherished, and I tapped into the Force. I Force Pushed Commander Warlock away and got up to my feet. I ran up to the clone, struggling to keep standing in the slippery mud, and I took out all my anger and my pain at him. I slashed at him with my lightsaber, I stabbed at the face of every traitor clone who turned against my brother and sister Jedi, I cut through the symbol of The Galactic Republic, the symbol which Chancellor Palpatine corrupted. He took all the power from the Senate, he seized the banks for himself to fund the war against the separatists, and now, he has launched a conspiracy to destroy the Jedi. Lightning filled the skies, reminding me of the Force Lightning I used on Dxun, filling my vision with the dead clone who had saved my life not half an hour ago. I recoiled from the man I killed. Clones, Jedi, the war made us both executioners, Palpatine turned friends against one another and seized control of the galaxy right in front of our eyes. I turned to see Master Avdune knelt in front of a clone, filled with just as much remorse as I was. Ullara had killed the entire rest of W-squadron and the clone commandos. The murders were in self-defense, but these men had been our loyal companions, now, they were dead, killed by our own lightsabers.

"Master...we have to go." I put a hand on her shoulder and found my master virtually catatonic - I had to imagine that she was now reaching out into the Force, just like I had during my fight against Commander Warlock - but we had to leave, there were many, many more clones here, including three star destroyers, this clearly was not an isolated incident. The entire Grand Army of The Republic had turned against us. I shock my master again and the Mirialan finally snapped out of it, opening her eyes and rising to her feet, heading back into the inner circle.

"You're right Zaliza, you're right." Ullara said, breathing heavily, a far cry from the balanced military commander I was so used to seeing from my master, though I could hardly blame her, the unthinkable happened. In any case, Master Avdune was scrambling to come up with a plan "The clones will be scrounging the surface for us, we're not safe up here. The inner circle seems to be an elevator leading down to some sort of separatist underground compound. I have no doubt that there are droids there, but I think we'll have a much easier time fighting through the droids and emerging somewhere else on the surface of Ypherro than trying to hold out against the clones, especially after all we've seen from the gunships and the bombers. Wherever we emerge, we'll find a way to get off world, then -"

"No!" I cried out as Master Avdune was abruptly cut off by a laser bolt to the chest. My eyes widened - _Witchcraft_. I activated my lightsaber and turned around, looking at exactly where the clone had been. The clone, realizing he had a lot less time than he had to line up my master for a shot, took his chance and fired. I caught his sniper bolt and redirected it back at the clone, feeling the laser bolt penetrate his armor and kill the clone. I savored the vengeance, the evil clone fired at my master and now, now he was dead. I earned no satisfaction from the act, however, and I stopped savoring, instead, I ran over to my master, grabbing her body, feeling that there was still life in her. I had never attempted to heal with the Force before, but I had to learn now. I put both hands over the wound in my master's side and I channeled energy, trying to heal the wound. I shook as thunder echoed in the skies and I watched the threads of repaired skin fall apart. I didn't stop though, I kept repairing the damage, not stopping no matter how many times it was undone. I kept going and going, doing anything I could with limited knowledge to save my master. I couldn't do this alone, I couldn't survive being hunted down by the clones without Ullara at my side.

"Zaliza...you have to go." Ullara coughed out, my master pleaded with me to leave her, but I wasn't going to do it, I couldn't do it. Slowly but surely, I managed to keep the threads together, even as thunder struck, I managed to heal the wound, both superficially and, to an extent, below, eventually, it was at a point where I could move my master. I helped her to her feet and put my arm around my neck, heading to the elevator, following her plan "I'll only slow you down, it's too late for me...they already got me. You have to get away while you still can. You can't expect to be able to push pass the separatists down there while fleeing the clones and protecting me all at once, I'll only be a burden. Save yourself Padawan, please."

"No master, I'm saving the both of us! You are not going to die master!" I pleaded, tears filling my eyes as we stepped down onto the elevator and made our way down, away from the surface. The clones would be hunting for us, but together - and only together - we could figure out how to get through this separatist base, returning to the surface somewhere deep in the jungle, someplace where the clones would have no idea where to look. From there, we would figure out how to find a ship - with my master's help, there is no way I'd be able to find a ship on an unpopulated jungle planet on my own, especially not at night during an endless storm while being hunted by legions of clone troopers, the very clone troopers we trained with. I filled with anticipation as the elevator neared the underground base. I set my master down and she activated her green lightsaber while I activated by double-bladed weapon. The elevator opened up to reveal we were entirely surrounded by battle droids, guns at the ready, about to massacre us, except, they weren't...they were all deactivated. I watched as the droids stood there, eerily armed for combat but completely benign, turned off. I touched one battle droid but still, nothing happened. I backed away from the empty husks of droids and turned back to my master.

"Palpatine controlled everything, didn't he? The separatists and the Republic? He was the Sith Lord. He was going to win the war either way and he decided that it was time for the Republic to win. The Jedi were all killed simultaneous while Palpatine had the droids deactivated. This is how the war ends, with Palpatine winning and everyone else in the galaxy losing." I realized everything. We knew that there was a Sith Lord behind Count Dooku, the true Dark Lord of the Sith - the senior pretender as Phanza would say - and we knew that Chancellor Palpatine was up to something insidious, but we could never have imagined they were one in the same, not until now. This was Order 66, the death of all the Jedi, the end of the Clone Wars, and Palpatine's coup, the conquest of the galaxy.

"It would seem so, Zaliza," Master Avdune said as she managed to stand up on her own two feet - evidently her own connection to the Force was enabling her to heal herself at an accelerated rate - but she was still walking slow, clearly injured and far from fighting shape. The Mirialan took a long look around the room, scanning the elevator room, seeing ornamental architecture and four sets of statues at each corner of the room. Each set contained two figures, both in robes with lightsabers at their hips - a master and an apprentice - this was some sort of a Sith compound. The question is...did this compound belong to Palpatine or did it belong to Count Dooku? Either way, a secret Sith laboratory hidden on a planet like Ypherro could explain the heavier than expected separatist presence on this world, the only question is, just what is down here? I clutched my lightsaber as I felt Master Avdune hold onto me again, the two of us moving together into the unknown.

"Look master, there's some sort of red pyramid on that pedestal." I pointed out as we entered the next room, seemingly the main chamber of this underground compound. The device seemed to have a stone shell and a dark center, glowing red from deep within. This was some sort of Sith device, that much was clear, but it wasn't a Holocron. I felt a familiar red-skinned Nautolan peeking through my mind, seemingly taking great interest in the device. This was something which Lady Attam wanted, which meant that...it meant it could be useful to us. I stopped with my master a pair distance from the device and turned to her as much as I could without letting her down "This must either belong to Palpatine or it belonged to Count Dooku, what if we were to take this - thus deriving the Sith of their power - and offer it to Lady Attam? It could buy us amnesty in the Grand Duchy of Taaszon."

"Zaliza...we can't go to Taaszon..." Master Avdune meekly argued, as if she didn't believe it herself. I understand that she didn't want to go and hide in a Sith state, I didn't really want to either, but I couldn't see any other alternative. With the clones betraying the Jedi on Palpatine's orders and the droids conveniently deactivated just after, there was no alternative other than Palpatine having controlled everything all along. Nowhere in the Republic was safe, nowhere in separatist space was safe, and we couldn't even be safe in Hutt space either - not that I trusted the Hutts to protect us to begin with, especially not after the stunt that Dalenda the Hutt pulled on us on Nar Shaddaa. I shuddered, I had to hope that Master Towaan and Padawan Ai'sunn were okay, I knew the chances were slim, but I had top hope that Thonna managed to survive Order 66 - the violet-skinned Twi'Lek deserved better.

"Master...where else could we go? Taaszon is the only place Palpatine doesn't know about - Phanza only gave the Republic those two outlying systems. The rest of the Grand Duchy is completely hidden." I reasoned. I had to imagine that Taaszon was high on Palpatine's list of loose ends - after all, I already figured that the separatist attack was an attempt by the separatists to wipe out a rival faction - now, knowing that Palpatine orchestrated all of it, the clones would no doubt be sent in next. They would be under attack, but I've seen what they possess, getting involved in a war against the Chancellor was infinitely safer than trying to hide within his reach, constantly being hunted, constantly forced to hide our powers. In Taaszon, we had a chance to live as Jedi, potentially rebuilt our order - sure a Jedi Order rebuilt within a Sith state is going to take on a peculiar form, but it is something - better than the alternative, waiting around to die as hermits and lowlifes while Palpatine reigns over the galaxy unopposed. If this is the galaxy of peace I had been fighting for, I'm not sure I ever really wanted it after all. Perhaps war with the Jedi is better than peace without them. I didn't know, none of us knew, we were going into a whole new era we knew nothing about.

"Do you think Lady Attam would even give us amnesty for this device? It's not a holocron, I don't even know what it is. It could be completely worthless to her for all I know." Master Avdune countered. She was more logical this time, I didn't know what this object was either. It was clearly some sort of Dark Side device, but that didn't necessarily mean that it was valuable to Lady Attam. For all we knew, she had hundreds of them piled up in a corner, well, that was all we were supposed to know anyway. I had a connection I wasn't supposed to have, I knew that Phanza Attam was interested in this Sith device and I had the ability to ask the Sith Lord directly. I pleaded with her silently through our Force connection to take the device and protect us from Palpatine and his forces - surprisingly, Lady Attam was very quick to accept, though that didn't necessarily make me feel better - perhaps it was unsurprising that she accepted, perhaps she considered this the perfect way to turn me over to the Dark Side and potentially turned my master over as well as an added bonus. I felt Phanza nod and she gave me her word that she would protect us, however, I couldn't exactly tell that to my master, luckily, I had something figured out.

"I don't know. I know that there is a chance though. At this point, can we really hope for anything more than a chance?" I asked my master. I saw the clones marching into the Jedi Temple, I saw Jedi scream as a blue lightsaber tore through them - likely a fallen Jedi, Palpatine's new apprentice - and I felt Jedi after Jedi die all over the galaxy. Nowhere was safe, nowhere except a place that Palpatine didn't know about it. In retrospect, it made sense that Palpatine wanted the whole map of Taaszon from Phanza, he wanted his favorite executioners to have the knowledge his droids didn't. I wondered how much Phanza knew - did she keep Taaszon secret because she knew what Palpatine was, or was that the plan all along? Either way, I would be able to ask her soon enough, assuming that Master Avdune and I were able to survive this that is.

"Well...no, but there's a problem. The coordinates for the Grand Duchy's systems are only in the _Sage's_ navigational systems. We would have to infiltrate a Republic flagship in order to do that. I'm in no shape to do that." Master Avdune argued. Now I didn't know what to do, I could get the coordinates from Phanza whenever possible, however, I couldn't tell that to my master. Now was not the time to reveal that I was communicating with a Sith Lord. I asked Phanza for some help, fortunately, for once, the Sith Lord was willing to help. _The Mirialan is complicating things again? Hmm, annoying. I suppose you could steal a Republic shuttle, transmit the Republic codes to get off world, and then tap into the Sage's network remotely, stealing the coordinates through Republic tech. At that point, just land in one of the cities on Imperius Prime and I'll meet you there with the Ultimate._ I thanked the Sith Lord for her help and relayed the plan to my master, finally getting the Mirialan to agree. I saw my green-skinned master raise her hand and use the Force to pull the pyramidal device to her. We had our bargaining chip and I had a secret guarantee from the Sith Lord, now all we had to do was actually get to Imperius Prime.

We were about to move forward towards the other, secret exit when we heard the elevator blown apart below us. Master Avdune and I turned back to see the elevator fall to the ground, followed by countless ropes as the clones repelled down into the secret base. We were out of time. I heard Ullara take a deep breath before practically forcing the Sith device in my hand. She grabbed her lightsaber in her now free hand and stood on her own - I saw that it hurt her and that her stance would be shaky at best, but that did not deter the Mirialan in the slightest. I watched as Master Avdune turned towards the clones, took one more deep breath, and turned back to me, her eyes told a thousand emotions. I saw acceptance of what was about to happen, I saw hurt over the clones' betrayal, I saw anger at the Jedi's failure to catch Palpatine, I saw a deep compassion my master had for me, and I saw a deep regret as Master Avdune glanced down at the Sith device before looking back in my eyes. She closed them for a brief moment and, with out final breath, Master Avdune said her final word.

"Go!" my master declared, igniting her green lightsaber and clearly preparing to make a last stand. Ullara Avdune wanted to make a final stand in order to allow me to escape Ypherro, to get those coordinates, and leave the planet, fleeing to Taaszon where I could survive as a Jedi, even if it meant I would be in the realm of the Sith. I couldn't think of any other option at this point, if we both fought, perhaps we could overpower this group, but the ray-shield was down, they could just call in the rest of the gunships to bring in more than enough clones to take us down - especially now that the battle droids were disabled - we could flee, but they would pursue us. I couldn't think of a scenario where we both got out alive, one of us had to sacrifice themselves, holding the line for the other to escape, and Master Avdune already decided she was going to be a burden on me. I couldn't argue against this plan, but I didn't think that it was right, I couldn't just let Master Avdune die, not after all that's happened. I learned to Force heal on the fly to save her, she couldn't just die after that!

"Master-" I tried to object but Master Avdune was having none of it, and what she did next shocked me to the core. Master Avdune silenced me by crashing her lips against mine. My eyes widened in shock but I closed them quickly, savoring the moment as much as I could. I didn't know what exactly this meant and I never got the chance to ask, because the next thing Ullara did was Force Push me away, behind a blast door. I scrambled to my feet, trying to get through the door to somehow save her despite the fact that the numbers were against us and that she was injured, but Master Avdune knew that I was stubborn. She used the Force to slam the blast door closed in my face. I was left with no choice but to flee, cutting through the door would just lead to the both of us getting killed and our escape plan being compromised. Master Avdune would fight and stand long enough to kill any clones who noticed I fled through the door and then buy me as much time as possible before she was overwhelmed. I shook my head because I didn't want to think about my master dying.

I took a much smaller elevator back up to the surface, trading an underground base for the constantly thunderstorm ridden jungle once again. I saw that I emerged deep in the trees, completely hidden. I knew that I probably should have gone looking for some sort of starship right away - hopefully one with autopilot, a good navicomputer, and, most importantly, a hyperdrive - to get off this planet. I no longer needed to get the codes off the Republic network, I could get them straight from Phanza, but I was in no shape to take the journey quite yet. I collapsed with my back against a tree and I wept. I wept for all the Jedi who perished in the temple and around the galaxy, I wept for all the people who would now have to suffer under a galaxy dominated by Palpatine, and I wept for Master Avdune. My perfectly flawed master who sacrificed herself to save me, leaving me with a wonderful kiss and millions of unanswered questions.

Eventually, I wiped my tears away and got back up to my feet, I had my key to getting to the Grand Duchy of Taaszon, finally seeing the mysterious Sith world which had alluded us, but first, I had to get there. A challenge easier said than done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rise of Skywalker was okay as a movie, not as good in terms of what it means with Star Wars canon, but some elements were handled clumsily in that film. At this point in the story, in a different time, I begin trying to give better purpose and context to some of the elements of Episode IX. I am interested to see what you guys think.


	10. Nightfall of The Old Republic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't care what you say, I am proud of this chapter title.

Act I.

The Last Days of The Jedi Order.

Chapter X.

Nightfall of The Old Republic.

* * *

I crouched behind some crates near an outpost the Republic was setting up near the circular compound housing that Sith lair. An ARC-170 starfighter was fueled up and ready to go just a few feet away from me, but lifting off in a starfighter is hardly subtle and I'm not a very good pilot at all. R9 always did the piloting for me, but I didn't have the astromech with me, in fact, I don't think I'll ever see that little guy again. I needed to cause some sort of distraction, doing something that will draw the clones far enough away from that starfighter and their ships that I can be in orbit before they react. I peaked over the crates and searched for something that would really cause a distraction. I finally caught two carts of munitions, missiles that were meant to be transported to the gunships or starfighters. I rose a hand, ready to fling one of the wheeled carts into the other, causing a huge explosion and demanding an emergency response from the clones, however, the voice in my head, the voice of a Sith Lord interrupted me. Unfortunately, the voice was all the voice of the one person I had left now that the Jedi were purged.

_Allow me._ Lady Attam announced and I watched as two lightning bolts ripped from the skies, striking the munitions. The combined power of the lightning strikes and the explosive payloads of the missiles triggered two massive explosions. The clones rushed to grab hoses, move other munitions away from the now raging fire, and save their injured allies. I sat there, knelt behind a crate and observing the carnage in utter shock, just how much power did Phanza have? She wasn't even on Ypherro...perhaps she was using me as a conduit for her power, but she still tore lightning from the skies rather than generating it through my body. I never knew a Jedi with that much power, nor a Sith. I never heard of Count Dooku doing anything quite like that. _Get out of here! They won't be distracted forever!_

Phanza's order put me back into action. I sprang to my feet and ran over to the ARC fighter, activating it and taking off. I wasn't much of a pilot, but I was a rather crafty Jedi, so, as the Clones realized what I was up to, I decided to bring myself a little bit of extra time. I turned to fight ninety degrees to the right, angling my thrusters back at the clones and the raging fire they were facing. I hit the afterburners with full power and I launched the clones back, away from the rest of the fighters and the gunships. I relaxed the afterburners, not having the confidence to fly at full speed, before angling the nose up, gaining altitude. I was fully vertical soon enough and, gently, I added more power to the mix, breaking through the clouds of Ypherro and trying to break out of the atmosphere as quickly as possible.

The cockpit and the wings were covered in rain and I understood that, gaining altitude this quickly and heading off into space, the water would turn to ice. Not knowing how to use the controls of the starfighter to clear the liquid, I took one hand off of the controls and used the Force to fling the water off. The fighter was clear and ice free by the time I left the atmosphere, coming out into orbit. I looked behind me and even checked the ship's sensors, none of the clones were pursuing just yet, distracted by the fire and the blowback from my take off. At least, that's what I thought it was, the truth ended up behind more sinister than that. The controls started shaking and they grew entirely unresponsive as I realized what had happened - the clones weren't pursuing because they reported my escape to the Venator-class Star Destroyers in orbit. I escaped the surface, but now a tractor beam was pulling me onto the _Sage_. I was going to get pulled onto a ship full of hostile clone troopers.

I tried to amplify my strength with the Force to twist the controls away by Force but that did nothing more than change the angle of the ship as the tractor beam continued to overpower it. I knew I had laser guns and some missiles on this starship, but one starfighter against three Star Destroyers with their own full compliments of clone pilots wasn't exactly a winnable fight. Of course, the alternative is getting pulled inside a ship full of clones. I can't possibly fight an entire Star Destroyer's worth of clones, but I can't win the star battle either, and that's assuming I can even get out of this tractor beam. I needed help. I tapped into the Force Bond and, once again, I begged Lady Attam for help. I couldn't do this alone.

_I can't get you out of the tractor beam, but once you're in that hanger, I can cause a distraction for you. Then it's up to you to sneak through that ship and find out how you're going to get away from the blockade. All the while the Clones will be looking for you. Good luck Zaliza, it would be a pity to lose you so early in my plans._ Lady Attam smirked once again through our bond. She wasn't being particularly helpful, not that I expected anything different from a Sith Lord, though at least, based on what happened down on the surface, I could depend on Phanza for a good distraction. A good distraction that surely delighted her given that she got to slaughter dozens of clones in the process, but after Witchcraft murdered by master, it's hard to have sympathy for those traitors.

The ship passed through the hanger and I set it down smoothly, trying not to draw any extra attention to myself. That didn't seem to have much effect whatsoever as the clones were already surrounding the ARC fighter, aiming their guns and even setting up a few EWHB-12 automatic cannons. I wasn't sure what kind of distraction was going to save me now, Lady Attam is going to need some real lightning tricks to get me out of this one. Her solution, however, turned out to be far more simple than I had been expecting - she used the Force to deactivate the rayshield around the hanger. I watched, from the pressurized cockpit of the ARC fighter, as every single clone in the hanger was jettisoned into the vacuum of space. The effect was so great that even some crates, munitions, and starfighters got loose, though nothing beyond the clones and some light equipment was actually blown out into space before Phanza reactivated the rayshield. I got off the ARC fighter in a now empty hanger and rushed to the other end, hiding in an alcove as an investigating party of clones entered the hanger.

I held my breath, silently using the Force to cycle air through my nostrils manually, a task which took excruciating focus, but one which made it so that the clones wouldn't hear a sound. I waited there for perhaps five minutes, but those five minutes felt like an eternity as I waited for the clones to fan out and searching distant corners of the hanger. This was how it was going to be on the _Sage_ , the clones knew I was here and they would constantly be hunting for me. I needed to get off this ship as quickly as possible, but there was a tractor beam on this ship and, because the _Tython_ and the _Coruscant Temple_ had tractor beams as well, I couldn't just disable the one on this ship. No, I needed to give them a reason to let me off this ship. Unfortunately, giving a legion of bloodthirsty clones programmed to kill Jedi a reason to let a Jedi Padawan off their ship is easier said than done. In any case, I knew I had to get out of this hanger before those clones searching for me turn around and find me. Sneaking slowly and silently, I slipped out of the hanger and into the familiar halls outside, halls I knew thought would become hostile territory.

I thought about my options. I couldn't disguise myself because I look nothing like a clone trooper, the uniforms are just that, uniform, completely and utterly. I'm not the right size or shape to fit into an armor custom made specifically for copies of Jango Fett. I couldn't hide in the ventilation system because this is a spaceship, the ventilation system is only as large as it needs to be and no larger - it makes absolutely no sense for a ventilation system larger enough for someone to crawl through would be on any form of spacecraft - air is a gas, it doesn't need a giant vent system, giant vent systems are just good for infiltration by an enemy force and no one wants to build a ship that can be easily infiltrated by an enemy force...unfortunately, that bit of logic is what's making my job harder, given that I am infiltrating a ship and, despite fighting alongside me for the entire war, these clones now consider me an enemy force. I decided that, what I needed to do is get to another hanger - one which is still operating business as usual - and sneak into its command center. I'll take care of the clones inside and then I'll enter the system and give ships permission to leave this hanger. With any luck, I'll be out of the hanger and in hyperspace before the bridge figures out what's going on and overrides everything.

Ready to enact my plan, giving the Star Destroyers a reason not to use their tractor beams on me, I started moving towards the hanger on the opposite end of the ship. I couldn't go to the main hangers running across the length of the Venators because those are the largest and most guarded of hangers, additionally, once I left those hangers, I would be deposited directly in the line of site of the bridge. I needed as much time as possible without the command structure of the three ships realizing what I was up to so that wasn't an option. Thus, I was popping in and out of hallways, taking wild turns whenever I heard a group of clone troopers approaching, and heading through hallways which I knew were seldom used. I avoided entering rooms and I avoided busy corridors, I knew that, if I found anyone, there would be a fight. Fights are slow and nosy, trying to take down a pair of clone troopers could result in me being boxed in by half the troops on this vessel. I had to be careful and I had to be patient, every move I made was a calculated risk and every clone I tried to sneak past was a potential opportunity for being killed. I fought with these men, I trained with these men, I talked with these men, I knew that they were infinitely more of a threat than any battle droid because they were, fundamentally, people.

These clones, brainwashed by Palpatine or not, had something that no droid could ever have, intuition. The clones had the sense that I was there when they got close to me, they visible slowed and grew jittery, just waiting for any and every sound. A few of these close calls later and I found myself sneaking past walls of clone troopers as I got close to the hanger - the individual clones were reporting to their allies where they thought I was and they were figuring out my plan, the fact that I wanted to escape through this hanger anyway - the longer I spent on board the _Sage,_ the more likely I was to get caught. I knew I was getting closer to the hanger and part of me felt it would just be safer to ignite both blades of my lightsaber and get through as fast as possible, however, that meant all focus would come on this section of the ship. There is no way the bridge would overlook the starboard hanger lifting its quarantine if there was a confirmed sighting of me anywhere near it. The whole point of this plan was to avoid being detected and avoid drawing attention to myself, I needed to get out of here instantly and I needed to do it without the bridge realizing what I was up to. In short, the longer I take, the greater chance I have of getting caught, the faster I rush, the greater the chance of all of this failing. I survived the initial attack of Order 66, I knew exactly where I had to go for sanctuary, and I had managed to slip past the Republic ground forces on Ypherro, but all it took to unravel my escape plan was a tractor bream, a tractor beam which has left me trapped and alone on a Republic vessel.

I sat crouched in the shadow of an alcove as twelve clones in two lines of six marched past me, clearly a grand search party. I hadn't paid much attention to it during the war, but the clones armor has, slowly but surely, grown more menacing. Visors used to be taller, with a thicker bridge between the visor and the mouth, and the fin on the top of the helmet was thinner and taller, now, the visors slope upwards from the eyes towards a thinner nose bridge, the V-shaped mouths are now flatter, and the fin on the top of the heads are lower, thicker, and less pronounced. The stylized and perhaps even idealistic armor of the beginning of the war has become more militarized, more aggressive, and more rugged. Perhaps that was a sign that they had been consumed by war, or perhaps that was their fate from the beginning, after all, for all intents and purposes, the clones are child soldiers who happen to look twice their age. The accelerated aging means we have sent thousands of ten year olds to their deaths all around the galaxy, their betrayal is completely inexcusable, I cannot believe that Warlock would go from saving my life to trying to take it with just a message on a holocommunicator, there must be brainwashing or some Dark Side magic involved, but the Jedi Order had fallen long before Order 66. We weren't peacekeepers, we were generals and murderers, leading the galaxy deeper into the cesspit of war rather than trying to guide it out. We lost our values, we lost our morality, and, unfortunately, we lost our lives before anyone could actually try and save the Jedi.

I could still save myself though, it is neither a selfless or a magnanimous act, but hopefully, by surviving, by escaping Palpatine's grasp, perhaps I can reform some version of the Jedi Order - who knows how such an Order would look, who knows if Lady Attam or the other Sith in Taaszon would meddle with our Order, who knows if reforming it is even possible, the point is...I have to try - I can live on do to selfless and magnanimous acts. I may die without being able to actually accomplish anything, but even that would be better than dying here. I slipped out of the alcove and took advantage of a clear corridor to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time, ending up just outside the hanger. Unfortunately, there was an obstacle between me and actually getting into the hanger. Six clones of the 1204th battalion stood blocking the way into the hanger, keeping me away from its command center. My plan for escape was compromised, if I couldn't get into there, climb the steps to the command center, and let ships get out, then I was as good as dead. I thought about reaching out with the Force and mind-tricking the guards, but them leaving for no explainable reason would be suspicious and attract further clones to investigate, clones which I wouldn't have gotten in my initial mind trick. I could also use the Force to push something in the distance, making a noise for the clones to investigate, but these clones know that they are up against a Jedi, they wouldn't fall for such a textbook trick. I was running out of time and options when a forgotten friend intervened.

I watched, with incredulous shock, as R9-W3 rolled into a clone at full speed, knocking him over. I listened as R9 whizzed and whined about some utter nonsense, demanding the clones' attention. My jaw practically dropped when the clones actually ran off down the opposite end of the hallway, acting on R9's trumped up story. The red and purple astromech, seeing the coast was clear, rolled over to me. I completely forgot where the droid was or that he even existed, yet here he was, saving me and...if he was here, then that had to mean my ship was here. I didn't know if stealing back my fighter was necessarily the best idea, but if I could get it back, with R9 helping me fly it, I could at least maneuver and fight properly if I needed to, though I intended to escape this blockade around Ypherro without fighting, after all, I stood no change against the power that decimated the jungles of Ypherro during the separatist counterattack. That awesome power would tear my dinky little Delta 7B apart in mere seconds, not to mention all the fighters, bombers, and gunships still on-board these three Venator-class Star Destroyers. I wanted to be able to fight if I needed to, that didn't mean I was going to put myself up against suicidal odds.

"R9!" I whispered a thankful greeting to the droid "Thank the Force you're alright. Listen, I need to get out of here, can you go and convince the clones you need to fly out of the hanger while I go lift the lockdown on this hanger? If you can get my starfighter and hyperspace ring, slip a reason past the clones - they won't care, you're just an astromech to them - then we can both get out of here. Can you help me out?"

The droid responded to my question with positive and affirmative whirls, I cringed at the amount of noise he made, but then I remembered that the droid does this all the time and the clones of the 1204th have become accustomed to ignoring it. I remained in the shadows as R9 rolled away, going up to some clones and hollering out a rushed and tangential speech about how he needed to get out of the hanger and he needed my ship to do it. If the clones actually stopped to listen and think about what the droid was saying, they probably would have found it suspicious, instead, the unfortunate clone trooper just stared at the droid, dumbly, and eventually said that he can go once the lockdown was over. I waited until the clone turned around and, rather quickly, got as far away from the annoying droid as quickly as possible. Smirking at his success, I sprung into action, my job rendered significantly easier with the help of my astromech.

The droid proved an excellent distraction, amusing some clones and utterly annoying others, drawing attention well away from me. I took advantage and climbed up the steps to the command center over the hanger, finding a group of clones in uniforms rather than armor, these were clones tasked with utility, engineering, and administrative roles rather than serving as combat units. These clones were overseen by Republic officers on the bridge, ultimately answering to an admiral, though luckily, I wasn't confronted with any actual officers, no one with families or lives, that might make this somewhat easier. I used the Force to pull the clones towards the middle of the room, well away from any of the consoles they could alert the bridge from, and I put them down with my lightsaber. I had no other choice, this was the only way to end the lockdown. I couldn't sneak past a room full of clones programmed to kill me to end the lockdown, they would either attack me themselves or sound every alarm they had, flooding this command center with clones. They may share a face with the clone who sniped my master dead, but I couldn't help but know I was murdering innocent clones as I slashed through them, stabbed them, and hacked them apart. I deactivated my lightsaber in disgust once the act was done, silently observing what I had just done. I shook the bad thoughts away and moved to end the lockdown in the hanger before anyone noticed something was wrong. I input the correct sequence and watched as the clones cleared R9 for take off.

I rushed back down the steps and into the hanger proper. The hyperspace ring was released out into space and R9 was ready to go in the fighter, I just needed to get into the cockpit without any clones catching me, and I was working on borrowed time to begin with. The longer the lockdown remained down, the more likely the bridge was to notice something was wrong in this hanger and, on a smaller scale, the longer R9 sat here idly in his fighter, the more likely the clones here were to grow suspicious of the little droid. I waited until the clones were all facing away and, using the Force to accelerate my movements, I rushed with impossible speed to the fighter, hopping into the cockpit. Once I was sat inside, I knew I was pretty much safe, the clones, unless they were specifically paying attention, would probably completely overlook me sitting inside the cockpit. They may have intuition and they may be far more adaptable than droids, but they are human, and being human comes with a handful of setbacks. The human mind can overlook something out of place if it doesn't seem out of place, these clones know this is my fighter and, even if they see me in the fighter, they may take a moment to realize that they shouldn't be seeing that. The critical moment which makes the difference between me getting killed and me getting away completely unharmed.

The ship slipped out of the hanger and soon docked with the hyperspace ring. I took a hyperspace jump to Nar Shaddaa - it was the most recent set of coordinates on my starfighter that was outside of Republic space - simply because i wanted to get away from the Republic fleet. Taking a jump to Coruscant was a death sentence, if the clones betrayed us here, they would be all over Coruscant. I tapped into my Force bond with Lady Attam to get the coordinates for Imperius Prime, knowing that the Sith would help me. Sure, most would think that the Sith Lord would simply stab me in the back and take the Sith device for herself, but I know that Lady Attam is too greedy for that, she wants me as an apprentice. The fall of the Jedi Order and my dependence on her leaves me vulnerable, for an opportunistic Sith like Phanza, this is the perfect time to strike, the perfect time to attempt making me her Sith apprentice, therefore, I know I will be safe. The red-skinned Nautolan with her black tattoos gave me her word that I would be safe there and she has her own selfish motivations for keeping me safe, so, I plugged the coordinates for Imperius Prime into my ship's navigational computer. My fighter exited hyperspace and reoriented itself before jumping back in, making a flight plan for The Grand Duchy of Taaszon. I probably shouldn't trust the Sith so much, but right now, Taaszon is my only chance for survival.

Suddenly, R9 started on about a distress signal calling all Jedi to return to the Jedi Temple. The astromech droid, in his naivety, wanted me to turn back and journey to the Temple, right back to Coruscant and right into Palpatine's grasp. This distress signal was a blatant trap, I saw Order 66 with my own eyes, I even saw Palpatine give the order directly to Commander Warlock, there was no chance that I was now going to turn back, going to the Republic homeworld where Palpatine had absolute control, going to the place with more clones than anywhere else in the galaxy. Any Jedi who goes to Coruscant is going to be killed. I wish I could do something about it, but I was too far away and too weak, I couldn't beat Palpatine and stop the distress signal. I had to live on, I had a greater purpose in mind after all, I was intent on reforming the Jedi. The Jedi Order has already fallen, it was deeply flawed and consumed by hypocrisy long before the mass execution, trying to save the stragglers would only lead to more pain and suffering, and it could potentially undermine my new order from the very beginning, what is the point of reforming the Jedi only for them to make the very same mistakes they made before the Clone Wars? I was a weak Jedi, a mere Padawan, I couldn't save the others and I wasn't even sure if I wanted to. I was determined to do the greater good, therefore, I told R9 to disregard the distress signal from Coruscant and I continued on my path to Imperius Prime. I would deal with the Sith and I would rebuild the Jedi, rebuilding them the right way.

I wasn't sure if I was the right person to rebuild the Jedi though. I've been under the influence of a Sith Lord ever since Master Avdune and I got back from Felucia and encounter Phanza for the first time, I used Force Lightning to devastating effect on Dxun, and now I slaughtered a room full of innocent clones just so that I could escape the _Sage_. Now, I was going to try and rebuild the Jedi on Taaszon, but how could I do that if I was already starting to slip? I couldn't deny that Lady Attam was starting to get to me, I was falling to the Dark Side, I couldn't deny that. I had been attached with Master Avdune, too attached, that night we shared a bed and that final kiss we shared was proof of that, now, I had to live in a world without Master Avdune, in a world without the one person anchoring me to the light. If Master Yoda is right about attachment leading to fear and suffering, I will be in the midst of that while surrounded by Dark Side users and their disciples, how could I possibly resist the Dark Side in that environment? I was confused and filled with self doubt as my fighter continued to fly monotonously through the streaking blue lights of hyperspace, flying closer and closer to Sith space, my future very much uncertain.

* * *

The chaotic nature of Imperius Prime revealed itself to me once again as snow fell on the top of my starfighter as the lava from the streams below heated the bottom. Tightly backed jungles filled with the scavenged ruins of Republic and separatist tanks soon gave way to an urban cityscape as my fighter came in for a landing at Zavros City. R9 used his thrusters to fly out of his cavity and land while I climbed out of the cockpit and touched down on the ground, facing an approaching Sith Lord. I watched as Lady Attam, this time in a black, red, and gold robe, strutted down a bridge linking this landing pad to a tower, flanked by Ruumshi and Avoine. The red-skinned Nautolan strutted confidently near me, her tattooed head-tails resting up over the front of her shoulders and down her chest, her large black eyes and her arrogant smirk filling up her face. The orange-skinned Zabrak to her right and the pale, blonde human to her left carried their deactivated lightsaber pikes, impressive weapons for a pair of non-Force users, but weapons they certainly knew how to use. The three of them seemed powerful enough to me, but apparently, it wasn't enough for Phanza, Lady Attam wanted an overwhelming welcome. Lined up on either end of the bridge were the black and purple armored Taaszon troopers, the Sith infantry standing at attention for their leader. I scanned the rooftops of nearby towers, finding Ceyla and HK-107 on two separate overlooking areas. The Mandalorian Echani gave me a nod, but the droid was even less receptive than that. Lady Attam, with this welcome, was making things abundantly clear, I was entering her domain and things were going to happen her way. I gulped but stood strong, there was no turning back now.

I did, however, turn around when I heard a formation of starfighters flying by. Six Bisector-class Starfighters led by a Devastator-class Super Starfighter fly by the outskirts of the city in a V-formation, yet another display of the power of The Grand Duchy of Taaszon by Lady Attam. War is a purely destructive force, it is a force which has corrupted the Jedi, taken millions of lives throughout the war, and it is the force which robbed me of my master, but I couldn't deny being impressed. If this show of force is indicative of what the Grand Duchy can do, then perhaps I will be safe here. If the only way to guarantee peace in the galaxy is by confronting Palpatine with Margraviate-class Dreadnoughts and Sith apprentices, then perhaps that false peace is better than yet another war. The power-hungry Chancellor has revealed himself as a Sith Lord, the master of Count Dooku, the leader of this pretender faction that has been in a secret war against Taaszon. The separatist attack had been an attempt for Palpatine to clean up loose ends before Order 66, but, when it stalled and the Sith asked the Republic for help to turn back the separatists, the Chancellor changed tactics. The Chancellor wanted the Republic, his favorite executioners, to possess a map of all of Taaszon, Phanza, out of either a retroactively justifiable paranoia or out of knowing more than we did, refused, giving only what was absolutely necessary to the Republic. Now, Taaszon is arming up these border worlds and keeping their true heartlands in the shadows. If war is coming, Taaszon knows exactly what Palpatine can wield against them, but Palpatine cannot truly predict what the Grand Duchy can wield against him. Peace through fear is hardly an ideal, but, with the Jedi Order eradicated and the Republic now in the hands of a mad dictator, I cannot afford to be idealistic, I have to be pragmatic, I have to settle for any kind of peace.

"Welcome back to The Grand Duchy of Taaszon dear Zaliza, I trust you have the device?" Lady Attam asked, the Sith Lord and aristocrat was keeping up her usual bemused, affable, and polite disguise, however, her evil, her greed, and her impatience revealed themselves over this Sith device. I'm not sure if it was Count Dooku or Chancellor Palpatine, but one of those Sith Lords had been hiding this Sith device under separatist guard on Ypherro, hiding it in the vault where my master sacrificed herself. That alone showed that this device was significant, but why wasn't it hidden on Coruscant with Palpatine or on Socorro with Dooku? Unless, of course, one of the Sith wanted to hide it from the other. This was going into the domain of Sith power games, the domain that I figured that Lady Attam flourished in. Perhaps that is why Phanza wanted this device so badly, but I felt that it was more than that. This was some sort of powerful device...I wanted to get my hands off of it as soon as possible, and I figured that giving it to Phanza rather than letting Palpatine's clones come across it was the lesser of two evils. I didn't dare try and destroy it, who knows what Sith powers destroying this device may unleash?

"I do," I pulled the Sith device out and I was about to hand it over to the Sith Lady when I stopped. I feared this device, I feared Phanza Attam to an extent, therefore, I couldn't just give it to her in good conscience without at least knowing what it is. Yes, Lady Attam was offering me a place to live and survive openly as a Jedi where I could try and do some good for the galaxy rather than waiting around to die, but that didn't mean I wasn't going to question her when I felt that it was right to do so. Phanza had reached for the device but, seeing my pull it back, she rose a brow in a silent question - not an actual eyebrow, given that she doesn't have those, but the physical brow - to which, I finally replied "But first, What is it?"

"Ah ha, this," Phanza said before pulling the device out of my hands with the Force, grabbing it for herself. The woman was powerful and she enjoyed flaunting her power, however, the Sith did seem to have some twisted sense of morality as she did tell me all about it. Additionally, the fact that I'm still alive despite Phanza having two lines of guards, a pair of more than capable bodyguards, two snipers positioned overhead, and her own awesome power to tap into, suggests that she is going to keep her word and give me a place to live, peacefully. Phanza turned around and started to walk back to the central tower, me walking alongside her with Ruumshi and Avoine trailing behind, Ceyla and HK-107 following on the rooftops from a distance. Lady Attam began explaining the device as we traveled down the bridge overlooking Zavros City "This device is a Sith Wayfinder. In ancient times, they were created to guide the Sith to a new homeworld after The Great Hyperspace War, leading to the lost world of Dromund Kaas where Emperor Vitiate rebuilt Sith civilization. Once The Sith Empire was defeated, the fractured remains would repurpose these Wayfinders. Taaszon itself can only be reached by using our Wayfinders, publishing our hyperspace coordinates is punishable by death, hence, I directed you here rather than to our homeworld. Palpatine's faction presumably has Wayfinders leading to the origin of these pretenders, the world where they first bastardized the Sith with the rule of two, reducing themselves from a force that could conquer the galaxy openly to a force that had to subvert it. If we can find this planet, if this Wayfinder is truly what I think it is, we may be able to do to Palpatine what he has done to the whole galaxy."

"We?" I asked. I came here to escape Palpatine and to rebuild my way of life, I came here hoping for a peaceful existence rather than one of suffering and being hunted, I came here because of the enforced neutrality that Taaszon can provide, I did not come here to engage in a hopeless war between evil factions. I hated seeing Palpatine reigning over the galaxy, ruling from Coruscant and possessing the largest and most populated planets in the galaxy - worlds like Corellia, Alderaan, and Naboo - but that didn't mean I was willing to put millions, perhaps even billions, of lives in danger just to leave another faction of Sith in control of the whole galaxy. I knew Phanza, perhaps I even trusted her, but that didn't mean I was willing to let her take over everything. Even if I was willing to fight, we had to face reality, The Grand Duchy of Taaszon is a minuscule rump state at the edge of the galaxy, it was a large military for its size, but Palpatine has the combined resources of both the Republic and the separatists, he has Kamino constantly producing droids, and, if need be, he probably has a way of reactivating all those battle droids he had deactivated. We were outnumbered, possessing only a tiny fraction of the population of the Republic, we were up against virtually unlimited resources, and our enforced neutrality would only work if we didn't make it worthwhile for Palpatine to destroy us. Right now, Palpatine doesn't know what Taaszon has and, according to the Wayfinders, he has no way of getting to Taaszon, however, if we reveal all our resources in an open war, we will give Palpatine a reason to destroy us and, sooner rather than later, a Sith with a Wayfinder will be killed in battle. It's simple, neutrality represents life and prosperity for Taaszon, war represented guaranteed destruction. I wanted to undermine Palpatine just as much as anyone else, but we have to be realistic here.

"Yes, we," Phanza said ominously as we entered the tower in the center of Zavros City, the tallest and largest building revealing itself to be some sort of Sith Citadel. We entered the gigantic main hall, a huge open room with a glowing red pyramid in the center, an object that was absolutely radiant with the Dark Side of the Force. All around this room, various Sith walked around, openly and knowingly flaunting their power. There didn't seem to be a uniform for these Sith, they were able to personalize their robes and armor, though some things seemed to reign in common between them. Black and purple was the most common color combination, but black and red was common as well, many wore gold and silver trim. Most wore hooded robes, though some wore armor, some even wearing capes, some of the high ranking Sith wore rather ridiculous pointed pauldrons on their shoulders, but this was not an ubiquitous practice, after all, Phanza was a Sith Lord and the apprentice of Grand Duchess Voytana, yet she didn't wear pauldrons. These Sith were various races, humans were the most common, naturally, however, aliens were present at every level of the Sith ranks, Chiss being particularly common amongst aliens. The blue skinned, red-eyed, isolationist race seemed to have a significant presence on Taaszon, rather strange for a race almost never seen in the galaxy outside of Chiss space. I believe Phanza mentioned at one point or another that several Chiss worlds are under Taaszon's full control. The tolerance for aliens was so clear in Taaszon that, despite her exotic race, the other Sith showed deference to Lady Attam, some going so far as to bow before her as we walked by. This deference even extended to me...it was as if the Sith already thought of me as Phanza's corrupted Jedi turned apprentice, knowing that I was off limits to anyone but her. I wasn't that though, I was still a Jedi, the last one perhaps.

We circled around the pyramid and exited out the other end of the citadel - I think guiding me through this building was yet another show of force, showing that she had far more Sith than the mere two of the so-called pretenders - coming out to a bridge and, at the end of it, a familiar Ravager-class Sith Interceptor. I heard a jetpack fire up and I looked over my shoulder to see Ceyla hover down to the ground, then, on the other end, HK-107 leaped down from the rooftops and touched down. Ceyla, HK-107, Ruumshi, Avoine, R9-W3, and I all followed Lady Attam on board the _Ultimate._ I took a deep breath before boarding the ramp onto the ship, boarding a ramp leading onto my new future. The Jedi were gone, Master Avdune was sniped down by a treacherous clones and then she finally sacrificed herself in battle against those clones to let me get away, and now, now I was in a Sith state, dreading that war was perhaps on the horizon once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter eleven, the first of act two, is complete and I am posting it next. Chapter twelve will be the first regularly scheduled update on AO3 in two weeks time.


	11. The Grand Duchy of Taaszon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, we are back! I am satisfied with how act one turned out and I loved seeing Clone Wars season seven, I even felt like some of the emotions and some of the scenes in each touched on similar themes, which is always cool. Now, in this vastly different quarantine world, we're getting into act two, exploring the very first days of the Empire, this Grand Duchy of Taaszon, and, some Secrets of The Outer Rim! Is eleven chapters enough to include self-referential humor? Probably not, anyway, here is chapter eleven, picking up right where act one ended. I hope you enjoy!

Act II.

The Heart of Darkness.

Chapter XI.

The Grand Duchy of Taaszon.

* * *

"Sit down and strip in Zaliza, the journey to Taaszon is a...bumpy one, to say the least." Phanza explained as I followed her instructions, sitting down behind the Echani Mandalorian Ceyla, who was in the pilot seat. HK-107, surprisingly enough, sat in the co-pilot's seat of the Ravager-class Sith Interceptor. R9 rolled up next to me and collapsed his legs down, magnetizing with a series of worrying beeps. I still couldn't quite understand the droid, but I still rested my hand on his red and purple dome, trying to reassure my one and only remaining link to the Republic and the Jedi Order. Ruumshi and Avoine, Phanza's bodyguards, sat down as well, sitting at the rear of the cockpit - even in this position they were framing the entrance, ready to defend their mistress with their electrostaffs - meanwhile, Phanza herself stood tall, pulling a purple pyramid shaped wayfinder from her robes, lowering it into a circular pedestal in the _Ultimate's_ console, sinking it into an indentation in the surface. The circular surface lit up with purple light and the navicomputer received the information, plotting a chart to Taaszon. Lady Attam sat down behind HK-107, in the seat opposite of me, and the ship blasted off into hyperspace, bathing us in blue light. I took a deep breath, finally getting a moment to relax.

I probably shouldn't have felt so safe around a Sith Lord and her dangerous cadre of companions, but I did, in a way I didn't even on Imperius Prime - I wasn't comfortable around the Sith, I was comfortable around this Sith, that was a comforting, if unimportant, distinction - however, that comfort didn't last long as a chilling realization truly struck my body. During all the horrors I experienced recently, I had a purpose - first to survive, then to escape Ypherro, and finally to get to Taaszon - but now, now that I was really on my way there, I didn't have a purpose to distract me from the horrible circumstances around me. Master Avdune was sniped, but I still had hope that we could escape, that I could save her, but then, with that confounding kiss, she sacrificed herself to let me escape Count Dooku's secret sanctum, now, my master was dead. Was she more than my master? I don't even know, I want to consider her my friend, I want to think that the kiss meant something, but then again, on the other hand, I didn't even trust her enough to tell her about this Force Bond with Phanza. Lady Attam may be the only person I know that I have left, but that doesn't change the fact that she accused my master of being a liar, when really, I was the one lying to her ever since Phanza first spoke to me through the Force. Now, I was dependent on a Sith, likely on a collision course with the Empire regardless of what I wanted, and I was left to confront these feelings myself.

_I know it won't help and I know you don't want to hear it from me, but I didn't want Ullara to die. She seemed like a valiant Jedi and a talented warrior_. I looked up to see Phanza, the Nautolan slightly looking towards me, communicating slightly through our Force bond so as to not publicize my emotional turmoil. I sat there silently and uncontemplated what Phanza told me. I had always assumed that she intended to replace Ullara Avdune as my master and seduce me to the Dark Side, and I still had to suspect as much, however, something about her message seemed oddly genuine. I also noticed that, despite usually disparaging my master and trying to goad her into a fight, making her drop her Jedi ideals, Phanza did compliment her in the end and show a certain understanding of her, making the distinction between Jedi and between warriors. I don't mean to be too sympathetic to a Sith, especially not given her accusations against Master Avdune, but perhaps all those insults and prodding remarks were tests, trying to test Ullara's determination and strength of character, tests which the Mirialan succeeded.

I didn't dwell on this too much, because, all of a sudden, we dropped out of hyperspace and I instantly understood what Phanza warned me about, as the _Ultimate_ emerged in the chaotic, icy rings of what I assumed was Taaszon. Ceyla and HK-107 instantly seized the controls, human intuition and robotic computing coming together to expertly follow the map from the wayfinder, weaving past tumbling chunks of rock and ice in the planetary rings. I didn't know if the world was chosen because of this hyperspace feature or if the Sith manipulated the hyperspace route to achieve this effect, but we emerged directly in the gravitational whirlwind of cosmic detritus, and only the wayfinder, combined with very capable pilots, could guide one out of this natural hellscape. I watched some of the rocks closely, finding that some of them were not rocks after all, rather, they were the wreckage of ships - ranging from fighters to freighters to capital ships - that did not manage this very particular journey. Just as I began to calm down, thinking I understood all of the risk here, I saw that there was more than just rock and ice in these rings - our next obstacle was a massive cloud of red gas, something which couldn't possibly be harmless and benign.

"There are gravitational anomalies in these rings. Rocks, balls of ice, and even small moons are all normally found in planetary rings, however, in parts of Taaszon's rings, miniature atmospheres can develop, spanning across multiple asteroids or moons, and these atmospheres, almost entirely, consist of raging, endless storms that can easily destroy a ship that doesn't know where it is going, but with the wayfinders, featuring constantly updated navigational data, we know exactly where to fly at any given moment. These bizarre, highly unusual rings protect Taaszon from outsiders, the perfect cover for a civilization rejected by the rest of the galaxy." Phanza explained and, before I could even fully dissect her statement, Ceyla and HK-107 dived into a cloud formation, leaving me to watch helplessly as gigantic bolts of white lightning tore through this foreign atmosphere all around us. These truly were strange clouds, Taaszon's atmosphere, filling the sky above us, didn't even have a red tint to it, meaning that these gases in this atmosphere were completely foreign. The bizarreness of this was only increased by how the rocks and ice in these clouds seemed completely covered in red dust from this unnatural, alien atmosphere. Lightning tore through the cloud, obstacles barely came into view through the thick gas and their matching color, and I lost sight of Taaszon itself in the thickest portions of the cloud, nevertheless, eventually, we emerged form this atmosphere and, soon after that, we exited the rings entirely, coming out to the safety of space.

Margraviate-class Dreadnoughts orbited around a space station within the rings of Taaszon, giving me yet another look at Taaszon's mighty military power. The Grand Duchy is incredibly militarized considering that it consists of a mere eleven, low populated systems at the very edge of the galaxy, but it simply isn't enough, it won't ever be enough against the Empire. Military spending was already massive under the Republic and now, there's no one to stop Palpatine from increasing it even further, his emergency powers are nothing compared to his now permanent Imperial powers. The Senate doesn't have the power, nor the will, to resist the Emperor, even if they don't know the horrifying truth about him, that he was a Sith Lord, so now, nothing is stopping Palpatine from just throwing Imperial resources at Taaszon until the Grand Duchy is conquered. There cannot be an open war against the Galactic Empire, the four known planets would be eviscerated and, soon rather than later, the Empire will find a wayfinder or just brute force their way through the rings, we _might_ have a technological edge, I really don't know, but we simply don't have the numbers to wage such a war. I don't want to let Palpatine rule the galaxy, but this isn't the way, we can't just let Sith wage war with Sith until one faction is eradicated, the Jedi need to come back, and, for better or worse, I'm the only one in a position to do so.

I don't know if I'm the last Jedi alive - I want to believe the likes of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Master Yoda, and Master Windu survived, but Master Avdune didn't, I barely did and I saw the transmission with my own eyes, I knew what was happening - but I have to act like it is the case. That being said, what can I really do? I'm not a master, I was only a Padawan, I don't have a hall of holocrons, a library of Jedi knowledge, and a council of other masters at my disposal, all I really have is my own experience, my own struggles with the Jedi code, and a complicated relationship with a Sith Lord. The Force must have a twisted sense of a humor I suppose, the least qualified Jedi in the galaxy is the only one left to do something about it, to change things...I know I have to do it, but I don't think I can. Lady Attam wants to turn me into her apprentice and, on Taaszon, in the heart of this Sith state, I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to resist. The Jedi have fallen, the Republic has fallen, and I'll be surrounded by Sith...I've already used Force Lightning, I've already fought and killed many of the clones who fought with me, who saw me as family, and I've even executed clones that weren't even combat units. I'm vulnerable to the Dark Side, and now...I'm descending into the heart of darkness.

My stomach lurched at this revelation as the _Ultimate_ approached the planet, coming in for a landing.

* * *

"Ceyla, HK, Ruumshi, Avoine, remain here. Zaliza and I will have an audience with Grand Duchess Voytana and then we'll all head back to Castle Attam." Phanza explained, I didn't say a word, merely meekly following her, too lost in my own horrific circumstances to respond. I wore my hood up and kept my eyes down as we entered the Citadel. The building itself was massive and we were high above the clouds, the surface of Taaszon far below, but none of that really mattered to me, all that I could concentrate on was my destroyed life and the spiral into darkness that the whole galaxy was on. The Jedi were born on Tython eons ago, born from ancient force users after centuries of war between Light Side users and Dark Side users, the latter of which were banished from the world. The Republic was just as old, it has been a stable, unifying force in the galaxy for tens of thousands of years, despite its very existence being threatened numerous times by the Sith and other existential threats. The Republic is so stable that the current constitution and form of government lasted for a thousand years before Palpatine rose up and shattered it all, finally achieving the dreams of the Sith, and dooming everyone in the process.

Purple and black armored soldiers of various species - humans, Chiss, and even aliens like Rattataki, Twi'Leks, Togruta, and other beings, all stood united, posed at attention for Phanza. I almost wanted to say these were honor guards, but I stood corrected when we entered the next chamber, the hallway to the throne room. This time, standing along the wall, just like the previous military guards, were red armored guards armed with lightsaber pikes, an incredibly formidable force. Ruumshi and Avoine served this purpose for Lady Attam, but the two of them, as impressive as they are, do not match up with this massive group of faceless warriors defending the throne room. Phanza stopped at the door and I finally, truly, looked up, watching as the opened, slowly and grandly, to reveal the massive throne room of Grand Duchess Voytana. Two massive purple banners of Taaszon graced the rear wall of the room, and, perfectly between them, sat a massive, elevated throne, and, in that throne, sat Voytana herself, Phanza's master. I didn't even need to reach out through the Force to feel her presence, her power felt heavy and radiant in this room, as if she could instantly crush me against the floor with little more than a passing thought. She was dressed in a black and purple robe, similar to the one Phanza usually wore, and she seemed to be young, despite her ancient power, but I couldn't tell much because I've never seen her species before. Voytana's skin was crimson red - nothing unusual, mine is a similar shade - but her features were harsh, with sharp, bony protrusions on her face, glowing red eyes, and rough, yet unblemished skin. Her hair was long, straight, and black, flowing down past her shoulders, making her a woman that was simultaneously beautiful and monstrous.

"Zaliza Vyvan of the Jedi Order, this is Grand Duchess Voytana of Taaszon, Dark Lord of the Sith, Mistress of the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge, and the last of the Pureblooded Sith. She is our supreme leader, holding power over even me, I can offer you refuge here, but only if she allows it." Phanza explained, revealing that, even with Dooku's wayfinder, my safety here is not guaranteed, nothing on Taaszon is guaranteed without Voytana's approval. As I looked into her glowing red eyes and I felt her immense power ominously tightening around me, as if her attention always came with the distinct possibility of her murdering me, I had to wonder, is she truly any better than Emperor Palpatine? Perhaps coming here was a grave mistake, perhaps Phanza Attam is the only good Sith in an organization that is still just as evil and despotic here as it has been anywhere else, and perhaps not even that is true, Phanza could just be deceiving me as her attempt to convert me, but despite all this, it was too late, I had to make my case. I didn't think I could escape, not with Voytana as powerful as she is, and, even if I could, where could I go? How could I even get off of this planet, given that I didn't have a wayfinder. Voytana appears frightening and evil, but she is my only option right now.

"Grand Duchess Voytana, I am Zaliza Vyvan, Padawan of the Jedi Order and -" I wanted to properly introduce myself - despite the fact that Phanza did that already, after all, this is a monarchy, a Sith monarchy, but still, I'd imagine they have some sort of protocol here - and show respect, which I figured was my best chance of surviving this situation, but, evidently, I've done something wrong, because Voytana cut me off. I, of course, immediately piped down and let her speak, not wanting to anger this powerful Sith Pureblood, apparently the last of the ancient Sith. I thought that they were extinct, I thought that their name only lived on from the evil order that succeeded them, yet, here I was, confronted with one of them, and having no answer for her abilities.

"I know who you are Zaliza Vyvan, the problem is you do not." Voytana commanded, her natural voice seemed surprisingly beautiful and polite, however, as she spoke, she layered it in such a way that it came out as booming and daunting, just as constricting as her power flowing around me. I took a sharp inhale and dared not speak, fearing what an interruption would me, I would just wait for her to say what she was going to say. I did have my suspicions though, I suspected that this all had to do with the deception and the true nature that Phanza Attam hinted about. I dared glance at the Nautolan, but her expression surprised me. Lady Attam, the incredibly powerful Sith Lord who felt comfortable in a room full of Jedi and Senate Guards, was nervous, looking down at the floor with an almost apologetic expression on her face, as if she didn't want this to happen so soon and in this way. Whatever this was, Phanza knew, but she didn't want me to find out this way "The Jedi, including your master, have deceived you of what you truly are. They saw your smooth red skin and your purple eyes and they thought they could fool you, telling you that you were a Zeltron, and, in the meantime, they watched you, just waiting for you to slip up, to use the Dark Side of the Force, so that they could justify it to themselves to execute you. You did screw up, you used that power, but, fortunately for you, your master protected you, keeping your secret. Ullara Avdune is the only reason your precious little order of hypocritical monks and high-and-mighty mystics didn't kill you for your use of natural power on Dxun."

"What could the Jedi possibly execute me for?!" I blurted out, not believing in her, before realizing my mistake and cowering back, fearful that this deadly woman would punish me for my actions, for standing up for what I believed in. I braced myself, waiting to be launched across the room or electrocuted, but it never came, instead, Voytana laughed. Not even a villainous cackle or the insane laughter of a madwoman, simply a genuine, amused laugh. This caught me off guard, seeming more like something Phanza would do than her all-powerful, Dark Lord of the Sith master.

"You have nothing to fear Zaliza Vyvan, you are accepted here as a guest of honor of Lady Attam." Voytana said, her voice no longer layered and, believe it or not, somewhat reassuring. I was confused, but Voytana continued on, finally explaining this mystery to me "The Jedi would execute you the same reason they executed by ancestors on Korriban, bombarding the world after the Great Hyperspace War, the same reason they forced the last of the Purebloods to retreat from Dromund Kaas and flee here to Taaszon upon the fall of the last Sith Empire, and the same reason others still fled into the Unknown Regions to create Palpatine's faction. You are not a Zeltron, Zaliza Vyvan, you are a half-blooded Sith. Your father, before his death, ventured out into the galaxy, searching for survivors of our species, finding none, instead, all he found was a human woman. He fell in love with her and sired you before the Jedi found him. The Jedi took you in and hid the truth from you, unwilling to kill a child but fearing the return of the Sith. Now, you and I are the last remnants of Sith blood in this galaxy."

I wanted to deny this, I really did, but I couldn't. I remembered back to the conversation I had with Ullara Avdune about not developing Zeltron pheromones despite obviously being sexually mature, I remembered back to how much she feared me using the Dark Side, and I remembered how, even before all this, she stressed that accomplishing the mission at Taaszon would be a major test for me. Perhaps, if things had gone differently, if the last stages of the war didn't advance so quickly, the Jedi Council might have told me the truth after Taaszon. They saw that I was able to interact with the Sith without immediately falling to the Dark Side, and they thought that I overcame the biggest obstacle I had to becoming a full fledged Jedi Knight. This could have gone so differently, instead, here I am, at the edge of the galaxy with all of the Jedi dead and learning all of this from the Dark Lord of the Sith...one of them anyway. I didn't know how to respond to all this, I didn't know what I could say or to who, so instead, I froze up, looked down at the floor, and felt the tears begin to fall down my face. I simply stood there, in the throne room of a Sith Lord, alone and crying until someone came over and gave me a hug and, to my shock, it was Phanza Attam.

"I know you have a lot to think about and I can only imagine the thoughts and contradictions going through your head right now. Do you want to head to Castle Attam and rest?" Phanza asked, the Nautolan speaking softly and comforting me, something I would've never expected from a Sith Lord, especially not one of this much power and this much significance, even if that all paled in comparison to Voytana. I looked up at the Grand Duchess and, to my surprise, there was a certain pity on her face, despite how powerful and detached she should have been. Voytana dismissed us and I let Phanza usher me out of the throne room, appreciating the comfort and support of another person after everything I've experienced lately, even if I knew that person was a Sith.

* * *

"These shall be your quarters," Phanza opened the double doors, revealing a large and lavish room, decorated in the blacks, purples, and reds that seem to be typical of Taaszon. The room was entirely too large, featuring a lavish bed, a view of the capital city below, a conjoined master bathroom, a kitchenette in one corner, a little living room in the other, and even a fully stocked closet. This was absolutely not the kind of room a Jedi should stay in, our only possessions were meant to be our robes, lightsaber, and a cot, not all of this. My master and all of the other Jedi didn't just die so I could immediately forsake their ideals just for a comfortable bed.

"I can't stay here Phanza, I'm sorry. All this luxury and excess isn't the Jedi way." I argued, hoping that I could get something more like what I had on Coruscant or onboard the _Sage_. I cringed as those two places crossed my mind, being reminded of what they have come. Coruscant, once the center of the free galaxy, is now Palpatine's home, the place from which that despot could rule over the whole rest of the Republic turned Empire. The _Sage_ , meanwhile, is now an instrument of Palpatine's control, a ship that, instead of saving worlds, will now conquer them, spreading the Empire's might far and wide. Perhaps I should go for something slightly different, something that won't remind me so much of the twisted wreck of my life, but something that is still modest enough to conform to the Jedi way.

"Zaliza...this is a castle, every room is like this." Phanza informed me, letting me know something I should've suspected long ago. Places like this didn't even need servants quarters anymore thanks to droids and automation, and I couldn't just sleep in a closet full of droids. As much as the Jedi are concerned with being poor monks, they understand that people have certain needs, including a surface to sleep on and a bathroom, neither of which droids have. I suppose I could sleep on a cot in this room, after all, the lavish surrounding aren't all that different from the grand nature of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, another place clouded in death and failure for me, a place that Palpatine used as his trap for any Jedi who survived Order 66.

"Can you at least replace this furniture with things a little less wealthy and grand?" I asked, trying to capture as much of the Jedi lifestyle as I could on this distant and Sith controlled world far away from the world I knew and the Jedi I was once a part of. They lied to me, they really did, and now, I'm finding out that I'm a Sith, a half-blooded Sith, but a Sith nonetheless, but I'm not going to forsake them for that. The Jedi were flawed, fundamentally flawed, I saw that even before Order 66, but they didn't deserve that, they didn't deserve to be so completely and utterly destroyed.

"Zaliza, I know this is new, but the Jedi idea is to not impose and to live simply. By asking me to have this room rearranged for you, you are imposing and you are violating the Jedi principles in practice, if not appearance. Please, just accept these conditions and rest, you need it after everything that's happened to you lately. After tonight, if you really aren't comfortable here, I will try and find a more agreeable place for you." Phanza promised, the Nautolan speaking softly, her politeness clashing with her appearance - I didn't expect the red skinned woman with sharp black tattoos and a red and black lightsaber to be this hospitable and understanding. I didn't necessarily agree with her on how accepting this was more modest than having the room rearranged, but I would follow her advice and try it for tonight before making a final decision. My master died and I just found out I'm a half-blooded Sith, if there was ever a time where it was justified to bend the Jedi lifestyle, it was now. That being said, if I managed to actually rebuild the Jedi despite all my flaws and shortcomings, I don't want to set any unfortunate precedents.

* * *

I was clearly not used to life at Castle Attam. The bed was entirely too comfortable, the sheets were so warm and soft I had to take off my robes to sleep, then, I slept peacefully, too peacefully. I felt guilty for sleeping that well so soon after Ullara died, I felt like I should have cried, twisted, and turned all night, but I didn't, I simply sunk into the mattress, snuggled into the sheets, and slept all night long like an ungrateful, detached monster rather than the obedient and mourning Padawan I wanted to be right now. My next out-of-place experience came when I realized the servant droids must have silently taken away my robes to be washed, leaving me without my own clothes for today. Obviously I washed my robes, I did so daily if possible, but I didn't have it done for me before, that was new and that was jarring. I found myself walking over to the closet and finding it stocked with various sets of robes, robes clearly meant for me, yet styled like the Sith of Taaszon. I cringed, many would leave my sleeves and midriff bare - now, the Jedi didn't have a dress code, Master Secura made sure of that, but I usually wore my reddish-brown robes which more than covered me up - however, I eventually found an acceptable robe. A full body robe similar to Phanza and Voytana's usual outfits, in Taaszon's usual black and purple, and I took that into the bathroom to get washed up and dressed.

A trip in the refresher later and I realized that the servant droids, little circular units gliding across the palace floors silently, had taken my underwear to wash that too, leaving me with nothing to wear beneath my robes. I was alone, but in a foreign place, aware of the fact that there was probably a camera - or several - watching me, I wandered back into the room and found a bra and a pair of underwear in the drawer. There were two things that shocked me here: first of all, the fact that everything here was exactly to my measurements, and second of all, the fact that some of the items Phanza left for me were made of... _lace_. I understood that Phanza and the Sith have different morals than the Jedi, but this really was completely and utterly obscene. These robes and underwear clearly and perfectly fit me, so what could Phanza have possibly been thinking when she stocked my room with...lingerie of all things. I was a Jedi, I shouldn't have many possessions, least of all something so blatantly sexual and enticing for a member of an order that banned attachments.

I got dressed in the robe, and the matching boots and belt. There was also a set of gloves that came with these robes but I decided not to wear them. I noticed a few things about these robes, when compared to Jedi robes: first of all, while my Jedi robes were not constricting, not in a time of so much war, these felt infinitely lighter. The robes clung close to my body, tightly accentuating my figure, but, despite that, they felt like they weren't even there, and, on top of that, the material was clearly rarer, more expensive, and more luxurious than anything that I would ever find at the Jedi Temple. I have only just gotten to Castle Attam and I already feel completely out of place, living out of a space too big for me, sleeping in a bed too soft for me, and dressed in clothes too nice for me. This was too much, too luxurious, this wasn't what I wanted and, as a Jedi, I shouldn't have this. Perhaps it is imposing to ask to live a simple and humble life within a lavish palace, but the Jedi clearly were not intended to live like this, this is completely ridiculous. Just to accentuate how unprepared I was for this life, as I turned around to leave the room, I nearly tripped over one of the servant droids as it's little flat disk frame slid past me, a silent and obedient puck keeping Phanza's castle pristine while she was away. Presumably, there were other types of droids as well, but these small and relatively unintrusive ones were clearly the most numerous.

* * *

I found Phanza sat down on her outdoor meditation pad, the capital city and the citadel out in the valley below, the mountains all around the castle, and a light snow was falling up here, but not quite enough to actually settle on the ground. I quietly walked over to her, stepping out of the warmth of Castle Attam for the cooler mountain air of this outlook. I didn't want to disturb the Sith Lord who turned out to be my one and only friend now that the Jedi were gone, but I had no one else to talk to, I didn't know anyone else here. Between the clones betrayal and the trap on Coruscant, I didn't think that very many Jedi at all survived. I could only hope that Master Towaan and my friend Thonna Ai'sunn died quickly, they didn't deserve to suffer. Taaszon was turning out to be a complicated place, everything appeared to be the Sith - the dark aesthetics, liberal use of Dark Side powers, and a towering obelisk of autocracy reaching far into the clouds - yet, despite that, I couldn't see the evils we associated with the Sith. This palace was worked by droids rather than slaves, the people, both here and on the outlying systems, seemed happy to be under Voytana's rule, and then there was the issue of Phanza. Her appearance showed absolutely no scars or deterioration from the Dark Side despite the fact she was clearly powerful, she was nice and caring to me, despite the fact that she clearly wielded all the power in this relationship, and, while I wasn't necessarily comfortable with it, she clearly put care into my room and clothing here. I didn't know what to think of the Nautolan woman.

I looked over at her again and noticed that she wasn't simply meditating, she had Count Dooku's wayfinder in her hands and she was tapping into it through the Force. This was important, perhaps we would finally be able to track down where Palpatine's Sith came from and...well, what could we really do? I'm not sure if it really mattered that we found this wayfinder, after all, Palpatine is openly reigning on Coruscant now, even if we did find out where the Sith was from, there wasn't much that we could do with that information. We could destroy Palpatine's ancient base of power, sure, but what would that really accomplish when he still has the rest of the galaxy? My confidence in my own ticket to Taaszon was fading rapidly, even as Phanza Attam was opening it, but I did realize something now. Phanza was the wayfinder and, unless she told Voytana at some different time, her master doesn't know about the device.

"And...there," Phanza suddenly spoke before rising, the wayfinder glowing an ominous green in her hand as she turned to me, an interesting expression on her red-skinned face "It seems the late Count Dooku was craftier than he appeared, more aware that his master would betray him than either of us had expected. This doesn't lead to the home of the pretenders, rather, this wayfinder leads to the ancient capital of the Sith. You've brought us a beacon to the lost world of Dromund Kaas, a beacon which Palpatine doesn't even know about."

"How does that help us?" I asked, a sinking feeling in my gut. Palpatine fooled the entire Republic and executed the Jedi with the clones, he controlled both the Republic and the separatists in a war which drained the galaxy enough to make him the one and only ruler of it, and now, all we had to use against him was a map to one, long abandoned planet? Palpatine knew about Taaszon's outlying systems, was this really the time for cultural and historical exploration? I had to imagine that Taaszon had much more pressing matters to attend to, considering the galactic circumstances.

"It helps us attain our knowledge, our history, our birthright. Imagine, for a moment, that the Jedi lost the coordinates of Tython or even Dantooine, and now, imagine that you suddenly found a map back to your historic capital. Strategically, you're right, this is insignificant, but I thought you of all people would understand that there is more to all this than just fighting Palpatine." Phanza explained, making herself, a Sith, appear more reasonable, respectful, and less bellicose than myself, a Jedi. I felt isolated by this tactic, because this reminded me that, despite how nice she was, despite how supportive she was, Phanza still wanted to turn me over to the Dark Side, and everything she did served that agenda. I had to view all of her actions through the lens that she was trying to make the Jedi look as flawed and hypocritical as possible while presenting the Sith sympathetically.

"I'm sorry, I understand that this is important to you and your people." despite all that, despite the fact that I knew this all probably a subtle manipulation, I found myself feeling guilty and I found myself apologizing to a Sith Lord. I knew that Lady Attam was dangerous and powerful, I knew that I should have seen her as an enemy, and I knew that she is probably not as much of a good person as she appears to be, but I couldn't help but see her as a beautiful, intelligent Nautolan woman not much older than I was "I just...I'm hurting, Phanza. Master Avdune sacrificed herself to save me and all I have to remember her by is that final kiss she gave me. I didn't even have the chance to recover her lightsaber. Now she's gone and I feel alone and confused and...I don't know what to do. I want to rebuild the Jedi but I have no idea how to do that, I want to avenge Master Avdune, but I know that Ullara wouldn't want me to seek revenge, and I want to find a new home here, but I'm not sure if I can trust you or anyone else here. I'm scared and alone and I just feel helpless."

I sunk to the ground and buried my head in my eyes, crying on the black and purple fabric of my robes. Jedi weren't supposed to be emotional, I knew that, but I couldn't help but cry, I couldn't help but release every awful emotion that's been consuming me as of late, and, again, to my surprise, Phanza was there for me. The Nautolan joined me on the ground, discarding the all important wayfinder for the time being, and wrapped her arms around me, comforting me. I never understood how I found myself depending on a Sith for emotional support, yet here I was, and, to her credit, Phanza was surprisingly good at it. There is an argument that all of this could be a ruse to get me to trust her, but I thought that was too much, just grasping for straws. If Phanza was truly as evil as I feared, why would she want to comfort me? Comforting me does nothing to turn me, apparently the last of the Sith bloodline, to the Dark Side, if anything, it lessens the pain and suffering that is supposed to lead me down that path, so, instead of converting me to the Sith, I was now left confused. I knew that Phanza's actions meant something, she must have had some sort of goal in all of this, but I didn't know what.

"I know things are hard now, I understand that better than anyone. Voytana and I made a very bad decision asking the Republic for help - we had the technology to fight off the separatists this time, but we were not prepared for a sustained conflict, we thought that the Republic would help us push them back and we would be safe enough to return to the shadows - now, Palpatine knows about our outlying systems. I don't know how to approach this, I know we need to fight the Empire and cripple their ability to invade us, but we also don't want to provoke them. We need to find allies, but who would ally with us while Palpatine is putting the galaxy under his thumb? The information that he's a Sith won't help us considering we are as well. I don't even know if anyone is still strong enough to ally with us after everything which has happened. The Pikes and the other Syndicates are crippled after Mandalore. The Hutts were involved in that fight too and, while they're mostly fine, I don't trust those filthy slugs as far as I could throw one of them. I was just following my master's instructions, and I may have doomed Taaszon, revealing us at precisely the wrong time to the wrong people." Phanza lamented, sharing her own concerns, worries, and insecurities. I couldn't believe it, she was opening up to me, she was being vulnerable in front of a Jedi. I was frightened of Voytana, but I couldn't see Phanza as my enemy, not now and not ever.

"Can you just tell me one thing?" I asked Phanza, wanting to know something from Lady Attam before I let myself fully trust her, the woman was the only one who I knew that was left and I wanted to trust her, but I needed this one thing before I could. The Nautolan nodded, even in her alien expression, I could tell that her expression was soft and honest "Is this all just an attempt to turn me into a Sith apprentice? Or do you actually care about me?"

"Well," Phanza began with a sigh, immediately understanding the weight of this conversation "I truly believe that the Jedi were a flawed organization. They were hypocritical, insular, and too absorbed in their own hubris. I know that the Jedi didn't realize what Palpatine was, neither did I at first, but they let him take more and more power from the Senate, blinding standing by as their beloved state fell into despotism and autocracy. The Jedi, even in times of war, limited themselves to only the Light Side of the Force. The Dark Side can consume you if you are not careful, the Dark Side can be dangerous, but it is an objectively better way to use the Force in times of war and conflict. I mean no offense, but, the Jedi were dying long before Palpatine pulled the trigger on their whole order. You are a half-blooded Sith and I think that your place is here, as a Sith, using the full spectrum of the Force, letting your natural and human emotions flow freely, and forming whatever attachments your little heart desires, but I do not want to force you to do anything against your will. My ideal situation would be to convince you that the Sith, our version of the Sith at least, is a superior philosophy than the Jedi, and that you'll turn on your own, however, if you decide to remain a Jedi, I can accept that too. I fully believe that a Jedi Order reformed under you, someone young enough and smart enough to see their flaws and shortcomings, would be an improvement."

I contemplated what Lady Attam told me, her honest and scathing critique of the Jedi, noting many of the same mistakes as I did, however, what Phanza had to say about me...I actually wasn't upset with that. Phanza Attam isn't going to force me to do anything and she doesn't expect me to do anything, she is letting me have agency and, at least now, I know for certain what she is doing. Phanza is less of a manipulator and more of a missionary, a Sith missionary, as silly of an idea as that is, but that's the best example I can think of, the most accurate description of her behavior. I also found her version of Sith philosophy much more understandable than the typical kind, after all, her philosophy seems to be more about freedom and knowledge, Phanza Attam saw nothing as forbidden, she could do whatever she wanted to, whether they be Dark Side powers or Light Side powers, not only that, but Phanza implied that, despite that, she hasn't completely fallen to the Dark Side. I didn't know that such a thing was possible, but looking at her beautiful skin and elegant form, I couldn't see the damage of the Dark Side on her body.

"Thank you," I replied, Phanza's speech leaving me with a lot to think about. I still wasn't entirely sure about her and the Sith of Taaszon, but, despite all that, I found it fascinating and interesting. If nothing else, I would like to read through Phanza's libraries, learning more about how she thinks, what has influenced her, and how the rest of these Grand Ducal Sith view their code and their philosophy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Phanza's castle is maintained by space roombas. I acknowledge this is silly.


	12. Philosophies of The Sith Order

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, we're back for our second regularly scheduled post-hiatus update! This chapter focuses mainly on Zaliza and Phanza Attam on Taaszon and their developing dynamic. Side note: I considered naming this chapter "The Half-Blood Princess" but I felt that was a little too on the nose, maybe in the future though...we'll see just how cringeworthy I'm willing to be.

Act II.

The Heart of Darkness.

Chapter XII.

Philosophies of The Sith Order.

* * *

I found myself in a limbo of sorts over the next few days, finding myself in a foreign place without much to do. In the Clone Wars, even on leave, Master Avdune and I spent very little time resting on Coruscant - of course, it doesn't help that, by my decision, our last period of rest was interrupted by our mission to help Phanza - always either on a battlefield or on the way to one. It didn't feel right to have nothing to do nowadays, it gave me too much time to spend inside my own head. If it weren't for Palpatine and his Order 66, Master Avdune would still be alive, Commander Warlock and the rest of W Squad would still be our friends, and, yes, there would an awful and pointless war, but at least it wouldn't be this. This horrible tension as I feel like the Empire will eventually close in on me, like I am living on borrowed time, like the universe itself wanted me to die alongside Master Avdune and the other Jedi during Order 66. The only person I knew who was still alive was a Sith Lord herself and now I'm just sitting around at the edge of the galaxy, alive with no purpose, active with no mission, and a Jedi with an Order.

I had vowed to fix the last one, to rebuild the Jedi while here on Taaszon, but, of course, I had no idea how to actually do that. I was a Padawan, not even a Jedi Knight - though, based on some things that Master Avdune said and the lens of me being a half-blooded Sith, perhaps the business with Taaszon could have served as my Knight Trials, to see if I'm worthy of overcoming my own darkness, but after that, things moved far too quickly for anything to materialize. Perhaps that is why Ullara was so concerned when I used Force Lightning on Dxun, I had come so close and then acted in a way that jeopardized everything, it seemed like I had risen above my nature, but then, I acted in such a way that made it seem like I was falling right back into the typical mold of a Sith. I was a Sith, I was associated with Sith, and I was on a Sith world, how could I possibly rebuild the Jedi Order in a place like this? Phanza said she would allow me to do this if I wanted to, but what would that really look like? Was Phanza going to allow me to train Force sensitive younglings? I doubted it, especially as I suspected these Sith, with their limited population, needed whatever manpower they could get in the coming struggle against Palpatine and his newly formed Galactic Empire.

The Jedi Order was gone then? No, it couldn't go out with that, regardless of how unworthy I am. I may be a mere Padawan, but I'm still a Jedi, the last one perhaps, I couldn't just let the galaxy be absorbed in a war between two factions of Sith. The problem is, however, that saying I'm determined to do this is much easier than actually doing it, after all, I don't even know where to begin going about remaking the Jedi. Should I start with a new Jedi Temple? That sounded like a good move, but how exactly would that look? A temple comparable to the one on Coruscant honestly seemed ostentatious, especially if we're supposed to be hidden from Palpatine. We didn't necessarily have to be hidden from Grand Duchess Voytana, but I would prefer to be, after all, while I think I trust Phanza, I'm not as sure about Voytana and the others, so that eliminated these systems, therefore...I had no idea where this hidden, modest Jedi Temple could even be. Taaszon seemed like a no, at least in the long term then, but, perhaps, the people of this world could provide an answer - these people were loyal to the Sith, sure, but I could ask them what they thought of the Jedi, what a reformed Jedi Order could look like - after all, as harsh as her criticism was, Phanza Attam did raise valid points about the state of the Jedi prior to Order 66. Perhaps, using these testimonies from a bizarre source, I could make a Jedi Order that was better, stronger, and less hypocritical.

I walked out of Castle Attam, emerging out in one of the outdoor overlooks. I found Phanza Attam standing in the middle of the overlook, curved hilt black and red lightsaber held high over her head in a Makashi stance as Ruumshi and Avoine circled her, armed with their electrostaffs, ready to spar with their mistress. Avoine, the human, attacked first, running at Lady Attam with her electrostaff, swinging high, Phanza lowered herself to catch the staff as it swung down on her, but she new what was going on, quickly spinning out of the way as Ruumshi snuck up next, slamming down the rear end of the electrostaff right where Phanza was. Lady Attam strained up out of her spin and went on the offensive, hitting her two bodyguards with rapid, light strikes to keep them off balance, but there is a very good reason why Phanza spars with these two, her bodyguards were very capable of keeping her on her toes. Ironically enough, the next move that Ruumshi made was a sweep for Phanza's legs, but Lady Attam jumped over it, however, even in the air, her mission was far from easy, having to use her lightsaber mid air to knock away a thrust from Avoine.

Phanza Attam landed softly and almost floated over to the two again - not actually floating, Phanza didn't seem to be using the Force here, that was very likely the point, allowing the Sorceress to practice her skills with the lightsaber - her black cored lightsaber striking Ruumshi as, with her other hand, she caught Avoine's wrist and pulled. Phanza tripped Avoine over and brought the human bodyguard down to her knees, seemingly about to force her out of the fight, but, despite the human kneeled over like she was about to be executed, she headbutted Phanza in the stomach and twisted back up, attacking back with her electrostaff. Avoine struck directly at Phanza while, behind her, Ruumshi swung for Phanza's head. The Nautolan smirked and dropped to the ground, letting them strike each other's electrostaff, leading Phanza to believe that her bodyguards shorted out their weapons, however, this was a coordinated attack. The electrostaffs, rather than shorting out, locked Phanza in an electrified circle, seemingly leaving the Sith Lord trapped and unable to escape.

Phanza rose her lightsaber directly up before letting go, levitating the blade with the Force while it collided with the two electrostaffs, freeing Phanza out of the prison of lightning, but she wasn't done yet. Phanza, so aware of her surroundings through the Force, attacked Ruumshi with her floating lightsaber while she attacked Avoine with her bare hands. Phanza used her left hand to keep Avoine's electrostaff away while hitting her with quick jabs from her right hand, but Avoine, not to be deterred, stopped Phanza by grabbing one of her tattooed head-tails, yanking it, painfully. I felt it was interesting to see that Phanza let her bodyguards actually physically hurt her - this sparring was meant to be serious, intense, practical combat training - all designed to keep Lady Attam as sharp and deadly as possible, even if, for whatever reason, even refraining from using the Force unless it was absolutely necessary. Credit to Ruumshi and Avoine, they've already forced Phanza to use the Force to escape the trap and Avoine even managed to repel a hand-to-hand assault, however, the Sith Lord was clearly going to win here. Phanza spun around and kicked Avoine in the stomach, despite her robes. At the same time, almost as if coordinated, Phanza deactivated her lightsaber and floated the hilt behind Ruumshi's electrostaff, reactivating right before her neck and forcing her to yield, while, Avoine, who fell over from the kick, fell to the ground. Phanza stepped down on the electrostaff, leaving Avoine holding the staff just above her neck on the ground, forcing the human bodyguard to yield at the same time as her orange-skinned Zabrak counterpart. The sparring match over, Phanza called her lightsaber back while helping Avoine back up. The bodyguards bowed before their Sith Lord before leaving the platform, Ruumshi offering me a friendly glance before she left.

Phanza, having won the sparring match, straightened herself out, the woman stretching in her robes - she was once again dressed in the midriff baring and sleeveless purple robe, showing off her red skin nicely, her hood was done and she gathered her head tails over her shoulders, as per usual - they were rather displaced by the fight, given Avoine literally yanked one - and the Nautolan appeared completely unbothered by the cool mountain air. Phanza loaded my closest with similar sets of robes, but I hadn't worn such robes yet - I was currently dressed in black robes with a couple of red pinstripes for trim - nor did I think I could wear them soon, they required a confidence and a sinfulness I simply didn't have. Though I had to admit that Phanza looked elegant like that, toned skin stretching in the rising sun, rays of light half-blocked by the towering Citadel at the center of Taaszon's capital city. The Nautolan turned around, her large, black eyes, framed by the tattoos coming up her head-tails to her forehead, finding me, the Sith Lord shooting me a gentle smile. I walked over to the Sith Lord, suddenly becoming conscious of the fact that I was outdoors with my double-bladed lightsaber clipped to my belt - even if other Jedi were alive, I had to be the only Jedi in such a state, any other survivors keeping a low profile and hiding the fact that they were Jedi - an odd privilege of my exile amongst the Sith.

"Hello Zaliza, what are you up to?" the Sith Lord asked, Phanza instantly sinking into pleasantness despite having just been in a very real practice fight. I thought that was weird, I was always taught that the Dark Side was seductive, addictive, and consuming, that to tap into it leads down a path of certain destruction, yet here, the Sith Lord, fresh from a fairly significant duel, was nice, calm, and levelheaded. Lady Attam was continuing to confound me and, despite her promises to the contrary, I had to imagine that was intentional in an attempt to bring me over to the Dark Side. Phanza wanted to break down my preconceived notions of the Sith, the Sith Order, and Sith philosophy, thus, making me doubt my Jedi teachings. It was a good plan, after all, Phanza was an intelligent woman, but, I doubt her plans can be very effective considering I see through her schemes...or, at least, that should make her plans more effective. The truth is, despite the fact that I'm well aware of what Phanza is trying to do, her efforts seem to be working and I am not only questioning my own beliefs from the Jedi Order, but I'm curious about learning more about her beliefs. Now, naturally, just reading Sith Philosophy will not make me agree with it, but, there is a chance I will find something I agree with. Nevertheless, perhaps Sith beliefs can fill me in on how to improve the Jedi, again, through unlikely influences, I can create an order of Jedi that avoids both the flaws of the old Jedi Order and the flaws of all these various factions of the Sith.

"I want to go down into the city, alone. I can't handle being stuck in the castle anymore, I need to get out, I need to move around, and I need to breath." I stressed, needing to decompress and wanting to free myself of any lingering, illogical worries that me being stuck in this palace is just a covert form of imprisonment. Strictly speaking, I didn't need to go out alone, in fact, in some ways, going out with a guide might be smarter, but I wanted to be free, alone, to be able to go wherever I want, speak to whoever I want, and take as long as I want, free of anyone else's scheduling or oversight. The fact that this way would add some more secrecy to my new Jedi Order was just a bonus, but the fact is, I truly did want to experience some freedom and some privacy. I didn't expect to actually keep the Jedi Order secret from Phanza, after all, we have that strange Force Bond somehow, but, as I explained, I wasn't as certain about Grand Duchess Voytana and the other Sith, I wasn't sure if I could trust them in the same way that I trust Phanza. Even then, a part of my brain, likely the same part that is trying me to rebuild the Jedi, doesn't want to trust Phanza, fearing her just because she is a Sith and because of some of the things she's told me. The woman literally wanted me to strike down Chancellor Palpatine at one point and, while in retrospect, perhaps that would be the right thing to do for the greater good, but neither of us knew that at the time, Phanza probably had strong suspicions at this stage, but enough to justify a murder? I doubted that.

"Alone?" Phanza asked, well aware of the fact that I didn't know Taaszon well and that it was a strange request, nevertheless, the Sith Lord did seem to understand my emotional state, or at least tolerated it, because she didn't stop me. In fact, Lady Attam not only tolerated this, but she gave me some important advice and some privileges that will make my task much easier "Very well, you know how to contact me if you get lost. Between those robes and your lightsaber, nobody will dare bother you unless you initiate contact. Pacification droids and Chiss officers are common throughout the city, they keep the peace, so you'll be more than safe. There are no restrictions for Sith in the capital city and, while you are a Jedi, these same privileges will apply to you."

"Thank you, Phanza," I thanked her and headed off to the city below. I wasn't sure what to expect, on one hand, Taaszon's capital city appeared to be a small but clean, modern, and safe cosmopolitan city, however, based on what Phanza had said, this city seemed much darker than I had expected. The safety came due to pacification droids, vicious policing, a liberal number of Sith in the city at any given time, and other such instruments of autocracy. The autocracy and inequality of such a place was so great that there were restrictions on who could travel where and why, with only the Sith being above such restrictions, and myself, still a Jedi, but one who Phanza wishes to turn over to the Dark Side, by convincing me, she said. How could she possibly convince me that this Sith faction isn't all that evil when her own capital city is filled with evidence of tyranny and oppression? Phanza seemed too smart to allow her plan to fail so easily, so quickly, yet here she was, letting me go to the city and see whatever I wish, without restrictions of chaperones, she couldn't keep me on rails and ensure I only see a good version of Taaszon, so why was she allowing this? Did she think that her individual benevolence would be enough to make me overlook the crimes of her faction? I was sure what Phanza was playing at and I was even less sure if such a place, a city of tyranny, could actually provide anything for my future Jedi Order after all. I wanted to find the good in Taaszon and at least consider it for the Jedi, but what if there really wasn't any good out there to find? Either way, I was about to find out.

* * *

A speeder taxi took me down from Castle Attam to Phanza's private landing pad in the capital city - the other routes were to the Citadel and the other evidently led to some fortress in a different valley - exiting the purple and black taxi and heading out into the city itself, finding myself in a fair amount of activity. Obviously the population of Taaszon is in no way comparable to Coruscant or even Nar Shaddaa, but compared to other planets I've been to in these last phases of the Clone Wars, such as Felucia, Dxun, and Ypherro, this capital city seemed like a hot bed of activity. I would've imagined a Sith planet would be dominated by humans, after all, the Jedi taught me that the Sith have been, historically, incredibly xenophobic, but that didn't seem to be the case here. From just a visual assessment of the people walking through this part of the city, Chiss actually seemed to be the plurality - the blue skinned, red-eyed aliens were, based on my limited reading thus far, native to this part of the galaxy, the rest of Taaszon's people came later in an exodus from the former Sith Empire - this distant area of the galaxy was, and, to the Empire, still is, uncharted space, an ideal location for these stragglers of the ancient Sith to settle.

Speaking of the ancient Sith, those who settled here seem to be disproportionately alien. Yes, humans are the second most common species are the Chiss, but there are also many Zabraks, Rattataki, Twi'Leks, Togruta, Mirialans, and other aliens as well, a remarkable diversity. In fact, I had a hard time finding prejudice in general on Taaszon, I could see men holding hands with other men, women holding hands with other women, nor did there seem to be slavery, despite that being a typical practice of the Sith - perhaps this isn't entirely benevolent, after all, it is a possibility that their ancestors decided that slaves weren't worth transporting to the new systems and switched to automation so they wouldn't have to feed a labor force - there was classism, but beyond that, the capital city of Taaszon didn't seem like that bad of a place to live, at least not as bad as I had feared. Crime was punished severely by the massive pacification droids and the cold, stoic, and vigilant Chiss police, and they would likely crush any sign of protest or dissent with brutal efficiency, but that was to be expected with the Sith. I don't believe Grand Duchess Voytana's behavior is good or that I would do the same in Taaszon, but the place didn't seem like the autocratic, soul crushing hellhole I imagined when I first heard of the pacification droid...this all seemed very contradictory and strange, but, despite that, I felt boosted, I felt like these people could give the Jedi of the future some vital insights and wisdom, insights and wisdom I would be trying to learn.

In an attempt to acquire knowledge and to make sense of the conundrum that is Taaszon, I was first drawn to the tacky, colorful lights of the local cantina. The Jedi did not have a prohibition on alcohol, however, it was frowned upon, nevertheless, even as far back as the times of Revan and the Exile, the Jedi recognized the value of cantinas. The inebriated and relaxed patrons of such venues could be an excellent fountain of information, as well as the bartenders who remained sober and aware as all the patrons around them aired their dirty laundry and told their tales to their drinking buddies. Such an establishment was distasteful, however, I would be able to ask a wide variety of clientele about their views on the Jedi. There were restrictions in the city, such as that the lower classes could no enter rich neighborhoods and that droids weren't allowed in the Chiss districts, but this area of the city was open to everyone. The rich no doubt had their own, segregated cantina, but that didn't stop some of them - likely the younger and more eccentric types - from traveling down here. Thus, ready to speak with the widest variety of people easily accessible to me, I entered the cantina, expecting the reek of booze, death sticks, and...bodily fluids typical of a Clone Wars era Outer Rim bar.

The place was, surprisingly, actually clean and well kept, if tacky, the dim decor lit by liberal use of purple neon lights to produce an effect which seemed like it belonged at a nightclub, but this place was more of a lounge and a bar - then again, there were two back rooms, one of which looked to be a casino room and the other seemed to be more of a sports bar, so perhaps this cantina was meant to be many things at once - and, to their credit, their diverse purposes produced an equally diverse crowd, containing some surprising dynamics. One both contained what appeared to be an eccentric human male Sith telling a raunchy story to a crowd made up of a pair of soldiers, a smuggler, a blind Togruta gambler, and a Twi'Lek dancer on the Sith's arm...truly an odd crowd. I decided to stick to the bar itself for now, seeing a number of active bartenders and deciding to approach the small Chiss woman cleaning a glass in a quiet corner of the bar, that seemed like the ideal place for me to ask my questions, being given a certain discretion and not bothering anyone else. I wondered what approach would get me the most information though - I had a lightsaber, so I was obviously a Force user - but, should I be honest and be myself, a Jedi searching for information, or should I pose as a Zeltron Sith to get more honest information? On the other hand, perhaps posing as a Sith would make the bartender believe that this was a test of some kind, the Sith trying to find out who was loyal or not, so I decided to just be myself, not wanting to scare anyone by coming across as an inquisitive and mysterious Sith asking dangerous questions, that could be incredibly frightening, even to the people who lived under the Sith, perhaps especially to them.

"All those Jedi dead, can you believe it?" the Chiss woman muttered as I sat down, her pupilless red eyes clearly looking at a news report on a screen behind me, despite the lack of clear irises. I wondered how the barkeep knew I was willing to talk about such a thing, after all, not everyone wants to come to a bar to discuss foreign events, but perhaps there truly is something to bartenders have intuition, nevertheless, I was glad that she started the conversation before I even had to steer it my way. At least, I was glad, then, once again, the realization hit me that all those Jedi were dead, the gravity of the bartender's question reminding me of Order 66 and the horrible betrayal that rocked the galaxy. This event was so traumatic and major that it's already common knowledge on Taaszon, a system foreign to the Republic - now, I know they know all about the Republic thanks to their history and long term isolation, but still, news travels fast, tragically fast, fast enough to constantly reopen wounds before they can heal. At least this conversation would, in theory, contribute to undoing the damage that Palpatine did to the Jedi and to the galaxy, rebuilding the Order and letting it be a cornerstone of the Republic one again.

"No, no I cannot. All those Jedi betrayed and wiped out so quickly? It doesn't feel real. Now, with the Jedi gone, the Force itself feels hollow, countless Jedi have been eliminated and it has left an incredible void in the Force. I can't really explain it to someone who doesn't have the Force, but it was cataclysmic, before, I could feel the soft hum of hundreds of Jedi, now...I just feel a dull silence, a disturbing nothingness that I desperately want to be distracted from." I admitted, in the end neither confirming nor denying that I was a Sith, after all, the bartender started the conversation for me, revealing anything concrete now could throw off the flow of it. I would see where this method would get me and, if I'm still not satisfied with the answer, I'll reveal that I am a Jedi and ask my questions through that lens, seeing whether or not that changes what the bartender has to say.

"No one has told me as much yet, but I figured as much. A lot of you Force using types have been in and out of here lately. What'll you have?" the Chiss woman asked, getting down to business but not moving away quite yet. Based on my understanding of bars, this doesn't mean that the conversation is over, rather, this means that she wants to profit off of selling my drinks while enjoying the conversation. This was the moment when I realized that I didn't have any money - or rather, as a Jedi, I wasn't supposed to have any money, only a chip of Republic credits to use when necessary, not for personal expenses - however, on the belt of my robes, as with all the robes Phanza provided me, I found something suspiciously similar to a credit chip. I offered that back to the bartender and she accepted it, however, she did raise a confused eyebrow, which I then quickly realized was because I still haven't actually ordered anything.

"Start me off with a water please, feel free to charge the credit chip." I answered, not sure what Taaszon's policy on water would be, in the Republic, it was supposed to be free at bars, though whether or not that actually applied varied, especially on distant Outer Rim worlds as Clone Wars rationing grew greater and greater. Regardless of the policy, I wasn't going to drink alcohol, but I wanted to talk to the bartender and potentially other patrons, so, I let her charge the credit chip regardless of whether or not water actually cost anything, I doubted that Phanza would care. The bartender didn't seem phased either way by my answer and charged the chip before handing me a cup of water and remaining with me as I talked with her, perhaps slipping into impersonating a Sith as I asked her more "I know this might sound weird to you, but I can't help but think that this is a tragedy, especially with the pretenders in control of the whole galaxy. The Jedi were incredibly flawed, hypocritical, they stayed in a temple high above the actual life and people of Coruscant, and they were consumed by the bloodshed and violence of the Clone Wars, loosing touch of their own code and their own purpose, but they didn't deserve this. They didn't get the luxury or dying in fair battle or got to wither away - perhaps that would be the only correct way for the Jedi to go away - instead, they were betrayed and annihilated. It seems incredibly anticlimactic."

"I don't know about that. Everyone learned about the Jedi hunting down Sith after the Great Hyperspace War and again after the Great Galactic War, purging the Sith Purebloods on Korriban after the former and then leaving Dromund Kaas dead, abandoned, and lost after the latter. The Jedi have purged the Sith before, now they have been purged by a faction of Sith, a faction of Sith who deliberately weaken themselves to two no less. I'm sorry that so many Jedi died here and now, but they brought it upon themselves by forgetting their actions three thousand, five thousand years ago." the bartender replied, revealing much to me in so many words. First of all, this ancient history was very real to the Sith, they were still taught it, what the Jedi considered a terrible, ancient atrocity that was necessary for the greater good, these people considered a genocide. Second of all, because of that very real, very social history, that Wayfinder to Dromund Kaas really is an important artifact. All of the ancient ones were either reprogrammed to lead to Taaszon or lost, but now, now the Sith had a way to return to their old capital, to reclaim a history they perceive as taken from them by the Jedi. This faction of Sith was a strange one, they hardly seemed to be the evil, bigoted, tyrannical state I expected, rather, they were an intelligent, aware, and advanced society that happened to live, relatively happily, within an autocratic state. This shouldn't be a real thing, autocracy was, in my experience, always symbolized by toiling alien peasants held at gunpoint by droids while separatist corporate lords demanded more and more production, working the people to death and robbing a planet of its resources, Taaszon didn't look like that, far from it.

"I did say they are hypocritical, but is a cycle of repeated genocides and revenge what we really want here?" I asked, at this point more trying to get a feeling for the Grand Duchy of Taaszon and their views on the Republic and their mission as a whole. They were a Sith faction so, surely, their nominal goal was to eliminate the Republic and conquering the galaxy but, even through Taaszon is incredibly militarized and deadly, they simply don't have the population and resources to have fought the Republic - they didn't even believe they could fight a sustained conflict against the separatists - now, they were up against an Empire that was as strong as both the Republic and the separatists put together. So, even if conquering the galaxy was still the Grand Duchy's nominal, idealistic goal, it couldn't possibly be in their realistic, short term future, after all, radical change and growth would be necessary to even stand a chance in an asymmetrical, guerilla war against the Empire. It is difficult to win against an opponent with virtually limitless resources, no regard for the lives of their own people, and a ceaseless desire to eliminate any and all enemies with brutal efficiency. Palpatine knows Taaszon exists so, even if we do not wage war against him, he will eventually strike at the Grand Duchy simply because it has the potential of being a thorn in his side and the plotting, calculating Chancellor did not just play two sides of a war and engineer the slaughter of the Jedi to spare a potential rival. Palpatine and his Galactic Empire will be brutal to Taaszon, it is simply in their nature.

"I suppose not, but the Jedi have been overdue for being cut done. Maybe they'll come back better, maybe they won't learn a thing, maybe they won't back back at all, who knows. I just can't believe it happened like this, you are right, it does seems anticlimactic and unfulfilling. No great battle, no attempt to retake the galaxy, just a sudden extermination mere months after we emerged to the galaxy." the bartender revealed, I wondered if she started here not too long ago, my understanding was that bartenders weren't supposed to come off as too opinionated so as to not alienate their patrons, but this woman had no problem stating her beliefs. That being said, that was somewhat of an advantage for me, especially because this Chiss woman just offered me a chance to question her about improving the Jedi, learning what this young woman, evidently quite loyal to Taaszon, had to say. I suppose this is a rather ordinary perspective, after all, this woman was subject to the patriotic, Sith education of the people of the Grand Duchy. I suppose that her education could apply to a lot of the people of Taaszon, especially in her age group, so maybe, for the next person I would ask, I would have to search for an obviously different perspective, seeing what I can find.

"What would you have the Jedi do then? How could you have them be any better?" I asked, wondering what the Chiss woman had to say. Turning back to the Jedi and to the future of the order I could reform. I was a mere Padawan, I was only just starting to accumulate Jedi, and I've been under the influence of the Sith, so, in order to reform the Jedi, I need to accumulate knowledge, accumulate advice, and accumulate influences. A Jedi Order formed with so much Sith influence is perhaps doomed to fail and flawed, but I was going to try and I was going to try and focus on any and all good within Taaszon rather than the bad. I didn't want to use the Dark Side or hurt people, but I did want to see what their philosophy had to offer.

"The Jedi need to decide whether they are going to truly live by their principles or whether they are going to defend the Republic right or wrong. The rise of Palpatine and now the transformation to the Empire is a great example for why the Jedi need to reanalyze their alliance with the Republic, if they do not at least investigate this, then they are perpetually vulnerable to Republic politics. The Jedi must decide between a grand temple and living modestly, they cannot do both, no one is going to fall for it, not anymore, not after the Jedi were proven not to be invincible. The also need to make a decision as to whether they are peaceful or they are warriors, after all, they claim to be pacifists, yet they were wiped out by their own troops on the front lines of a war." the Chiss woman countered, pointing out a number of massive decisions that the Jedi would have to make to return in a time after they've been wiped out. The Jedi cannot simply go back to what they once were or, at very least, if we do return to what we were, we need to have a very good reason for doing so.

"Thank you, you have given me much to think about." I thanked the bartender and made my way out of the cantina, satisfied with the criticisms and the questions that were raised here, some very important decisions that a Jedi Order would have to address. If I had to answer these questions, alone, now - which I wouldn't want to do, as difficult as it may be so soon after Order 66, I would need to form a council for this new Jedi Order...giving me even more difficulties and hurdles to overcome to make this ambition a reality - I would say that the Jedi needs greater autonomy from the Republic. After all, our duty to the Republic is what prevented us from going after the slave-owning Hutts who were allied with the Republic, something I can't help but regret even more now that Thonna Ai'sunn is, more than likely, dead, killed by clones. I also wanted a smaller, more hidden temple, which was rendered necessary by the fact that the Empire would be hunting down this Jedi Order and I couldn't quite trust the Taaszon Sith either. As for the peacekeepers or warriors angle, I have been saying I would rather the Jedi be peacekeepers than warriors - well, we'll have to fight the Empire first, but, after that, I want my Jedi to settle down, become calm, and serve as neutral arbiters, fighting only when necessary - so I found it interesting that this is being echoed by the Chiss woman.

* * *

I wasn't very successful upon leaving the cantina - one wise guy human told me the Jedi would be better off if they didn't ask so many questions, meanwhile, on the other end of the scale, an elderly Togruta woman mistook me for a covert Sith testing her loyalty and panicked, not wanting to tell me anything, then there was my attempt to question a pacification droid, which went about as well as one would expect... - and now I found myself heading towards a large square in the city. There was a fountain in the middle topped with a statue of a Mandalorian warrior, implying that the grand structure at the opposite end of the square was the Mandalorian Enclave. The building was maybe five stories tall, but it was wide, grand, and swept down to the sides, the massive entrance styled like the T-shaped visor of the Mandalorians, and, all the while, the monolithic shadow of the Citadel slowly made it's way across the structure, a never-ending tower, but a thin one, one that could never quite block the sun. The Mandalorian imagery was an interesting sight, a reminder of how much the Clones changed during the clone wars - they never looked exactly like Mandalorians, but the aesthetic was far closer at the beginning, but, slowly but surely, it shifted, growing angrier, more menacing, more pragmatic and less idealistic - now, that transformation is complete. Based on various news reports on Taaszon, showing footage of Coruscant - likely discreetly retrieved from Imperial news sources - the colors and individuality of the clones has been stripped away, replaced with bland, uniform, white armor. The clones worked so hard to differentiate themselves, to be unique, now, Palpatine's mind control has reduced them to his generic cannon fodder, mindless troops to serve his evil purposes and -

I once again got lost in my own head, thinking of the horrible last days of the Republic and what Palpatine has twisted that into, and this time, there was an unfortunate consequence. I bumped into a Mandalorian warrior and found myself falling to the ground in a graceless and embarrassing manner. I rolled over and found myself looking up at a surprisingly tiny Mandalorian in red armor, the curved visor of her helmet similar to the kind worn by female Death Watch members - the Mandalorian terrorist group turned unlikely ally against Maul in the Battle of Mandalore...there is no telling what happened to them after Order 66, I can only imagine Palpatine would want to eliminate a loose end and bring Mandalore under Imperial rule - I wasn't sure what to expect from this warrior. A fight was possible, but I didn't think that a little Mandalorian, likely a student, would brazenly fight a Force user in the middle of a populated city with police and pacification droids everywhere, so that was an unlikely possibility. I suppose it was more likely that the Mandalorian would bark out a half-hearted apology and walk away, that way, they would defer to the Sith without sacrificing their honor or their highly independent culture. What I was not expecting, however, was for the Mandalorian to take her helmet off, profusely apologize, and offer to help me up, nor did I expect the person underneath that helmet to be a young Mirialan.

"Oh! I'm sorry! That was my fault! Are you okay?" the young Mandalorian offered, I accepted her hand and got up before she led me off to the edge of the fountain where we both sat down "I'm so sorry, my lord, you're okay, aren't you? I didn't mean to knock you over, but I wasn't paying attention, you see, my handler at the Enclave told me I have to work on my social skills if I'm ever going to be taken seriously as a Mandalorian. She told me that I talk too much and I go on blabbering about nothing, she says it's very unbecoming of Mandalorians, that we should be the strong silent types and...I'm doing it again, aren't I?"

"Don't worry about it, it's fine," I laughed lightly while a dark green blush came over her face, the Mirialan's tattoos seemed to be an odd blend of Mirialan and Mandalorian styles, with two rows of tiny Mythosaur emblems below each of her eyes. Her accent was different too, she lacked the typical posh Taaszon accent that Phanza, Ruumshi, Avoine, and even Grand Duchess Voytana spoke with, in fact, the Mirialan's accent seemed more like a typical Republic accent like my own, which seemed odd. Then again, the Chiss of Taaszon, including the bartender woman I spoke to earlier, mostly used the same accent. There were a handful of heavily assimilated Chiss that spoke with the Taaszon accent - which, weirdly enough, was similar to some of the wealthy, Coruscant elite accents - but those were in the minority. Nevertheless, this strange, rambling Mandalorian seemed like she would be far more receptive to my questions than the rest of the people I've spoken to. Her personality honestly seems like the most open and friendly I've seen on Taaszon which, to be fair to her handler, seems incredibly bizarre coming from a Mandalorian. In any case, I decided to be upfront with her "I'm not a Sith either...well, not a member of the Sith Order anyway, I'm a Jedi. The last one perhaps."

"Wow...how did you end up here? You're not undercover, are you? Am I allowed to be asking you these questions?" the Mandalorian asked, her brain and her mouth moving too fast for her own good. I suppose that, if she can cultivate these skills, she's be an incredibly quick thinker on the battlefield, but, in the meantime, she would have to settle for coming off as endearing, which again, I admit that is an odd quality to see in a Mandalorian warrior. In ancient times, Mandalorians fought against the Jedi for glory, invading worlds not for conquest, but in search of worthy opponents, and, when Jedi and Mandalorians did fight, it wasn't always a Jedi victory. These people are deadly, Jedi killers, yet here I am smiling and laughing with one of them. Taaszon truly is an odd place.

"No, I'm not undercover and you're free to ask me whatever you wish. I fled here after Order 66 and I'm staying with Lady Attam now, I was one of the Jedi who came to assist her during the separatist invasion." I revealed, figuring that, based on how informed the people of this world seemed to be, I gave more than enough information for this red armored woman to trust and accept me. Speaking of, that brought up another issue, we still haven't properly introduced ourselves yet "My name is Zaliza Vyvan by the way, Padawan of the Jedi Order."

"My name is Yevenna Aphlen, a foundling of Clan Ordo," Yevenna revealed, showing off the emblem on her shoulder pauldrons, a long vertical symbol which seemed like it could be some strange, double-bladed weapon or perhaps a space station "That is the Star Forge emblem, adopted as our insignia by Mandalore the Preserver, who fought alongside the mighty Revan to destroy it. Our Clan fought alongside the Republic back then, however, things changed quickly after that, the descendants of Mandalore the Preserver saw the Republic and the Jedi sinking into their old habits after the time of Revan and the Exile, thus, without reasonable Jedi to side with, Clan Ordo drifted away from the Republic, finding a place with the hidden Sith Empire. That, eventually, fell apart, and, joining with a number of Sith survivors, Clan Ordo journeyed here to Taaszon, finding a new home. Then one day, they found a little orphan girl on the streets and accepted me as one of their own...you didn't need to know all that at once, did you? Sorry about that...I just...I talk, a lot."

"It's okay Yevenna, I don't mind at all. I do wonder though, what would you consider a reasonable Jedi? What did Revan and the Exile do that was so appealing to your clan in ancient times?" I asked, genuinely wondering what she had to say, though I suspected it would be quite a bit. She took off her helmet for this conversation, but I wonder how this would all sound through it's filters and voice modulation, I couldn't help but think it would sound silly to hear this rambling coming from a somewhat deeper, more mechanical more threatening voice than Aphlen's harmless soprano.

"I mean, I get that the Jedi are all zen and peaceful, not everyone can be warlike, I know that, but...Jedi need to be able to act when it is necessary. There is a time where Jedi have to drop the pacifism and mercy and be decisive - I'm not saying I don't like Taaszon or that I shouldn't be here, but...the Jedi had two opportunities to destroy the Sith and they failed both times, now we're here, we're still able to present a threat - not to mention Palpatine wiped out the Jedi and now rules on Coruscant. No offense, but the Jedi had the chance to stop this thousands of years ago and you failed. Again, I'm not saying that you brought this on yourself, but..." Yevenna replied, giving a different perspective on these Jedi purges of the Sith than the Chiss bartender. I suppose that's the result of the Mandalorian perspective, Yevenna has been influenced by the Mandalorian Enclave and, despite her attitude being a bit different from the typical mold, that influence is reflected in her. She recognizes that the purges were a tragedy and nearly destroyed a civilization, but she understands what the Republic was trying to do and why they purged Korriban, even noting that, from a war perspective, the Republic should've been even more thorough. From my perspective, considering I'm apparently half of a Sith myself and in contact with Taaszon, the Sith Purge at the end of the Great Hyperspace War felt like an even worse war crime by the Republic now that I know this is exactly the kind of thing that Mandalorians would approve of and do in our shoes, no offense to Yevenna.

"I understand what you're saying and, while I don't fully agree with it, I understand that Palpatine has to be stopped. He won't see redemption or remorse - he talked to the Jedi Masters constantly, got to know them, and he lied in their faces - he executed men and women he saw on a daily basis, men and women who trusted him and protected him with their lives. Jedi died to protect him and he repaid them with Order 66, he is beyond justice." I compromised, admitting that, if it were even possible to depose Palpatine at this stage - the man played the whole galaxy against itself, now, everything is under his control, it is hardly unreasonable to believe he may be unstoppable at this point - he must be killed in the process. A Palpatine that survives is a constant threat to the Jedi Order and to peace, regardless of any theoretical and hellish prison we could invent for him.

"What about Taaszon? I mean...we're a threat too..." Yevenna asked, asking a difficult question that I would have to confront. I didn't want to fight against Taaszon, especially not after everything that Phanza has done for me, agenda or not, but, well, Yevenna was right, the Grand Duchy was a threat to a resurgent Jedi Order and to any reborn Republic...or was it? Quite frankly, I don't want conflict, therefore, if there is going to be any tension between a reformed Jedi Order and the Grand Duchy of Taaszon, it would come from Grand Duchess Voytana. The woman was powerful and frightening - I was scared of the mere visual of her from the mental link with Phanza, the reality of Voytana, with the thick, constant, and almost oppressive presence of her power, as even worse - but I didn't really know what her goals were. She had Phanza contact the Republic to help against the separatists, so clearly the Grand Duchy is too weak to take on the Empire, so galactic conquest can't be her goal, I've established that, so what is her short term goal? That answer to that question would have far-reaching consequences.

"I don't know, I really don't know..." I trailed off, grateful for Yevenna's answers and advice, but having no real response to her very important question. In any case, if I was going to learn about Taaszon's true mission and purpose, I can think of a place where I can figure it out - Phanza's libraries.

* * *

The sun had set and Taaszon's rings became the dominant feature in the sky as I returned to Castle Attam, seeing the icy flying debris and the red clouds make a rather beautiful sky - especially when combined with the dark blacks, blues, and purples of distant space dotted with millions of stars, many of those nearby stars hosting the Grand Duchy's other planets, other stars yet hosted foreign civilizations. Some of these distant Unknown Regions civilizations were known to the Republic, but most were not, hence the grand and foreboding name for this part of the galaxy. I had to admit the night sky here was beautiful, but I could stargaze another night, for now, I have a library to get to. I made my way through the castle and eventually found myself in the library, confronted both the rows of datapads and holocrons I was expecting, spread across two floors, as well as a number of actual bookshelves, then a generous number of computers dotted the room. This was Phanza's personal collection, but it seemed comparable to the Jedi Archives, if not more extensive.

I pulled out my personal datapad - another thing unexpectedly provided to me by Lady Attam - and collected a number of interesting sound books on Sith philosophy before heading over to the computer terminal, copying the data over so I could read it whenever I want, before leaving the other datapads on a generously placed rolling droid, watching it head over to the shelves. I had no idea how these little gliding units could actually get the datapads back up onto the shelves, but they seemed to be here for that role, so I'm sure that they're somehow capable for it. In any case, sitting at the library, I started going through the reading list, beginning, sensibly, with an introductory volume on the Sith Code. Unsurprisingly, the text started with the code itself, the very same code that Phanza told me onboard the _Ultimate_ when Master Avdune and I tried to get information off of the Sith...Force that felt like a lifetime ago.

_Peace is a lie, there is only passion,_

_through passion, I gain strength,_

_through strength, I gain power,_

_through power, I can victory,_

"Through victory, my chains are broken." I looked over to find Phanza Attam entering the room, the red-skinned Nautolan entering the library with her hood down, letting her head tails lay free. The Nautolan walked over to me and started with a laugh "You were thinking about this code so hard it felt like you were yelling across th bond. You do realize you could've simply asked me about my philosophy, right?"

"I know that, but I also know that I'm free to read whatever I want." I countered, taking advantage of the fact that I now felt comfortable with my freedom, willing to speak up to Phanza and resist her a little bit more now. The Nautolan seemed unphased either way, laughing off my resistance as if it was a harmless, silly joke. I didn't know why Phanza felt the need to do this, she was nice and caring beneath her rough exterior, why did she insist on being cruel and demeaning? She didn't have to hit me with a condescending, humiliating laugh when I'm trying to assert myself.

"You are, you are, but please, humor me." Phanza said before offering me her hand. I glanced at it and hesitated only a moment before grabbing it, letting the Nautolan Sith led me out of the library into a different room, still possessing the datapad and all the reading data I wanted. This way, I could both get the knowledge of what Phanza was about to show me and the knowledge of the text itself, it was the best of both worlds, giving me the whole picture. Phanza took me through the castle until we ended up in a room directly below her quarters, emerging into a half circle hallway surrounded by an aquarium on all sides, the water accessible from the bedroom above. This is when I was reminded of Phanza's physiology, the Nautolan woman was from a species that was comfortable in the water, at home in it, easily swimming and easily breathing in it. Phanza felt just as comfortable, if not more so, on land, but this tank provided her the chance to swim and to be submerged when she wanted it, getting back in touch with her natural roots.

"Wow," I eloquently remarked as I looked through the water, seeing magnificent coral reefs, rock formations, and schools of fish all in the tank, all producing a very real slice of sea life here in Phanza's mountain palace, letting the woman fully embrace her aquatic side. I couldn't help but contrast this with Kit Fisto, the Nautolan Jedi who had no such grand accommodations, living in the same quarters as the other Jedi, only really getting the chance to express his aquatic side during the crisis on Mon Cala earlier during the Clone Wars. I didn't dwell on that contrast too much, not wanting to think of the fact that Kit Fisto was almost certainly killed during Order 66, much like all the other notable Jedi, from Master Yoda to General Skywalker. Those were great and powerful Jedi, but even they could be dead, only pure luck, Ullara's sacrifice, Phanza's assistance, and the fortunate presence of R9-W3 allowing for my survival. I don't think any other Jedi was blessed with such a favorable set of coincidences, no one else got the chance to survive. Shaking off the concerns and the horrible memories, I focused in on the centerpiece of the aquatic environment, I pair of actual, functional underwater vents, bubbling lava out into the water.

"Indeed. This is my aquatic sanctum, and those vents, those vents are the keys to my philosophy. In hot vents exactly like this, at the very beginning of time, molecules combined in such a way to form the very first examples of life and, born with them, were Midichlorians, the building blocks of the Force, forever entangled with life. The Force is present in even the most primitive forms of life, in plants, in animals, and, indeed, in people. People who eat supposedly inferior forms of life, animals for meat and plants for grain, people allow themselves to dominate over lesser forms of life. Therefore, I am no worse than anyone else for allowing myself to fully use the Force, from the light side to the dark side, everything is free for me to use. Why? Because I am superior to the Force in the very same way that I am superior to a mere plant or an animal, I can dominate over the Force, bend it to my will, and I will not be consumed by the dark side like you Jedi preach, I will not allow my own power, my own Midichlorians, to overpower me, because I know I can dominate them." Phanza explained, giving her argument for the superiority over the Force, in sharp contrast to the Jedi view. The Jedi believed that the Force is supreme, that it decides our destiny, and that, when we die, it is our destiny to become one with the Force, meanwhile, the Sith view the Force as a weapon, something they can control, not something metaphysical but rather something tangible and usable. It was a stark difference, but, whether or not I subscribe to her theory, her linking midichlorians to evolution itself is a valid argument. It is refreshing to know that Phanza does not view the Force as a weapon out of malice, but actually has an argument and an evidence behind her belief.

"How can you be so sure you won't be consumed by the dark side? What makes you so certain that you're safe from yourself?" I asked, legitimately wondering what she'll have to say about this. The Jedi always presented being consumed by hate and anger as inevitable for someone who taps into the dark side, but Phanza insists this is not the case, and I want to know why this is the case.

"The dark side and the light side are simply labels for different aspects of the Force. I can use the light side to heal an injury and attack with the dark side in the next moment - even you must admit that the dark side is superior in a fight - and I will not fall. To be consumed by the Force, you need to lose sight of your own strength and your own purpose, simply use the Force for the sake of using the purpose. So long as you maintain sight of who you are, what your power is, and how much you can dominate the Force, you will never fall. The ability to manipulate and control the Force is so severe that, using the ancient secrets of Sith Alchemy, a sufficiently powerful and capable Sith can create midichlorians, create life itself. How can you be consumed by something you can literally create?" Phanza replied, revealing that her confidence, knowledge, and self-sureness is precisely what is grounding her despite use of the dark side. There was also the issue of Sith Alchemy I was now thinking about - if a Sith Lord could create life itself, what would be the consequences of that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh that is a tease combined with a bit of dramatic irony, I can be a half decent writer sometimes. Phanza's take on the Sith is a bit out there and beyond the usual Star Wars fare, I admit, but I will be explaining it more later on and showing how she behaves. In any case, this long one has been chapter twelve and, with chapter thirteen, Phanza and Zaliza will have plenty to do, so stick around.
> 
> Ciao!


	13. Shadows of The Rule of Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, here we are with chapter thirteen. Now, I got this comment here on FFN, someone asking me to divide up the paragraphs. I understand why someone would want that, however, the long paragraphs are a stylistic choice. I apologize if it can be hard to read, but maybe you can increase the text size or the spacing if that helps - I believe the text size and space are both bigger on AO3 than on FFN to begin with, if that helps - I hope you don't think of this as me rejecting constructive criticism. I accept that my writing doesn't appeal to everyone, I know, but it's also how I want to write.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

Act II.

The Heart of Darkness.

Chapter XIII.

Shadows of The Rule of Two.

* * *

I was walking through Castle Attam, dressed in a set of purple and black robes, purple eyes and red face sticking out from under the hood of my robe with the double-bladed lightsaber on my hip, looking more and more like a Sith by the day. I suppose it was inevitable, now that I knew I wasn't a Zeltron after all, I was a Sith half-blood, a mixture of a human and a Sith Pureblood - my father, whoever he was, was a creature similar to the terrifying Grand Duches - and, on top of everything, Voytana left me with the implication that the Jedi killed my father. I don't know why that news hurt me, I never knew my father or anyone else, I wasn't supposed to after all, the Jedi were raised to forget their parents and move beyond their attachments, I shouldn't have been affected by this news, I especially shouldn't have been mourning a Sith Lord. I said that, but I knew that wasn't true, I knew that I would mourn Phanza if anything happened to her, especially on top of the monumental loss that I've already experienced with Order 66. This left me in a concerned state, I look like a Sith, I am, by definition, at least half of a Sith, and now I'm even reading Sith philosophy, at what point do I stop being a Jedi? In this stressed out state of mind, I found Phanza rushing through the castle, clearly stressed out herself, something must have happened. I jogged up to Phanza, falling into step with her.

"What's going on?" I asked as Lady Attam and I headed towards Phanza's taxi, evidently whatever happened, we were heading out of the castle. I was trying to figure out what happened, it couldn't be an Imperial invasion, after all, the mobilization would be clear as day, with fighters, starships, and dreadnoughts taking off and heading to the outer systems, so, considering this just seemed to be Phanza, it wasn't anything quite that pressing. That didn't necessarily calm me down anymore, because Phanza was one of the highest ranking Sith in this whole Grand Duchy, there was a very realistic chance that she knew about an impending disaster long before it happened, especially considering her extensive spy network in the rest of the galaxy. Taaszon, in general, was hidden from the rest of galaxy while they are exposed to them, but Phanza was at a level even above that, she has spies within the Republic and within the separatists, likely explaining the aesthetic and technological between the Republic and Taaszon.

"I've lost contact with several of my spies on Coruscant, I suspect that they have been compromised. I've ordered the others on Coruscant to disperse, flee into the lower levels, and get off planet as soon as possible. The Empire has something capable of detecting our spies and dispatching them, I need to find out, but first, I need to report this to Grand Duchess Voytana." Phanza explained, revealing that her spies have been exposed and are very likely being hunted down, killed, or arrested. This is evidently something new, as these spies weren't found so easily in the days of the Republic - in retrospect, Phanza is hardly the worst person to be spying on the Republic, but it's shocking how easily the Sith were able to infiltrate Coruscant itself - though...I suppose I can't really call this shocking considering that Palpatine himself infiltrated Coruscant and took extreme power in front of the Jedi and the Republic. Now, that Palpatine was in complete control, he had a way of exposing and eliminating these spies with rapid and brutal efficiency...considering Taaszon's smaller population and isolated systems, the loss of these spies would destroy one of the few advantages and equalizing factors that Taaszon had.

Thus, with that established, Phanza and I took the taxi speeder from Castle Attam up to the citadel, where I would have to encounter the sickeningly crushing power of Grand Duchess Voytana again. I was not necessarily looking forward to that experience, nor was I looking forward to the prospect that these spy disappearances implied that conflict between the Empire and Taaszon was growing dangerously close, but I knew that this was a major event and I wanted to know everything that was going on. I also wanted to be in a position to prevent conflict, if that was in anyway possible. Now, that obviously did not mean that Palpatine could remain in control of the galaxy, but I knew that Taaszon couldn't possibly beat the Empire in a fair fight - Palpatine took over the Republic through subterfuge, scheming, and deception, now, the only way to force him out of power was to use the very same tactics - therefore, that is what I wanted to avoid. Of course, considering that the Empire represents the combined military might of the Republic and the separatists, as well as whatever other tricks Palpatine has hidden up his leaves, and that the Empire knows about Taaszon's outlying systems, avoiding a traditional conflict would be difficult to say the being said, I wouldn't necessarily put it past the Sith of Taaszon to abandon those worlds and then make an Imperial invasion a logistical nightmare via a deadly mixture of guerrilla and scorched earth tactics, but I didn't want it to come to that. Especially not after the Clone Wars already saw such conflicts occur on Ryloth and Onderon.

* * *

Phanza and I entered the throne room of Grand Duchess Voytana, already feeling the creeping, oppressive power of the Duchess wash over me. There wasn't even a malicious intent in her power yet, but the feeling already made me want to curl up and die...she had to be stronger than Palpatine, there is no way that the Chancellor turned Empire would have been able to hide all this raw power from the Jedi. This revelation didn't exactly help us though, even if Grand Duchess Voytana could defeat Palpatine, as I suspected, we would have an army of clones and planetary defenses between us and Coruscant. Yes, General Grievous was able to infiltrate this system and kidnap Palpatine, but, knowing that the Chancellor was in charge of the separatists as well, this incident was clearly staged, so I don't think that the Grand Duchy has the military power to actually reach Palpatine. There is also the ugly reality of what happens when Palpatine dies - there are still millions of clones throughout the galaxy, officers who would want to fill Palpatine's power vacuum rather than rebuild the Republic, and the fact that then, I would have to convince Voytana to surrender the galaxy when she just eliminated the main obstacle to Taaszon conquering it. This was all a very ugly theoretical and, Phanza, evidently feeling these thoughts bleeding over through our mysterious link in the Force, reached for my hand, giving it a squeeze as we faced the Grand Duchess. It was a small gesture, but one that meant very specific things in certain cultures, nevertheless, I found it comforting. I suppose Phanza may have as well, I'd imagine that, even for her, it's not easy to report a failure to Voytana, especially considering the implications of such a failure.

"My master, we have a problem." Phanza said as she bowed, I followed her lead "I have lost contact with a number of my spies on Coruscant, I suspect they have been compromised. I have told the others to begin extraction procedures, but I am concerned, these incidents happened with brutal speed and efficiency, we're never lost these many spies before, certainly not this quickly. I don't know how the Empire is doing this, and, as a side effect of that, I don't know how much information they'll be able to extract from these spies."

"Did any of them have wayfinders?" Voytana asked, suddenly very concerned at the possibility that the Empire may have gotten their hands on a device that will allow them to travel straight to Taaszon. This situation was already bad enough, but so long as the Empire couldn't actually attack the Grand Duchy's homeworld, we would be relatively safe. Yes, the Empire could attack the outlying systems, but what then? The Empire would need to send out probes and expeditions to discover Taaszon and its other systems before making an attack, that gives us time and a certain amount of safety.

"No, there are a number of intermediaries between my spies and Taaszon, the closest they could theoretically get to is the Star Cluster, but even that is unlikely - I don't hire talkative spies." Phanza explained, giving an answer that soothed and calmed down her master. I didn't fully understand what Phanza said, but I was relieved too, not only was Taaszon itself safe, but the Grand Duchy is not necessarily implicated. Palpatine could very well deduce this or speculate it, not to mention the fact that he will very likely aim to strike Taaszon sooner rather than later, but this spy ring bust may actually lead the Empire on a wild goose chase that could divert time and resources from any potential invasion of Taaszon.

"Good, but that still raises the question of - " Voytana stopped in the middle of her sentence, the Sith Pureblood woman who appeared so young and small in her giant throne - deceptive considering her inhuman power - paused as she realized something, as if she was so strong in the Force she sensed something that was utterly incomprehensible to Phanza or I, Voytana used the Force to pull up a hidden screen, explaining as it showed footage of the disfigured Palpatine speaking before the Senate, a massive, black armored hulking brute standing next to him, the terrifying, mechanical breathing of this creature's mask could be heard over Palpatine's speech, sending a chilling effect even here, far away from Coruscant and through a video monitor of the event "Palpatine is making an announcement before the Senate right now, I suspect that this involves our present situation."

"...scarred and deformed. The betrayal of the Jedi was not limited to merely the Republic, the struck out against their own, destroying all who would oppose this grand deception. The clones and I tried to bring order and save as many of these true Jedi as would, but we failed, only managing to save one, and only then after extensive burns and injuries. This is Lord Vader, the last of the true Jedi and the new guardian of order and peace in this galaxy. Lord Vader, already after recovering from his injuries, has unearthed a conspiracy to spy on and destabilize our new Galactic order! Lord Vader, assisted by an order of Inquisitors, will work to track down and disarm any potential threats to the peace and prosperity of the galaxy..."

"He has a new apprentice." Phanza deduced, seeing through Palpatine's various twists, spins, and lies about Order 66. This apprentice was clearly a former Jedi, based on Palpatine's story, but who could have possibly survived Order 66? Moreover, who could've possibly been corrupted by Palpatine into working for him despite all that he has done? Perhaps this suit was forced on a dying Jedi, now, forced to live in agony, struggle to breath, and constantly being at Palpatine's mercy, that Jedi has been left with no choice but to serve Palpatine. Perhaps, none of that is true, perhaps this individual was a Sith long before Order 66 and Palpatine is just making up a story for the public to accept this blatantly evil, hulking monstrosity and whatever these Inquisitors were. I could only imagine that, first and foremost, the purpose of Lord Vader and these Inquisitors was to hunt down any Jedi who survived Order 66, then, their second purpose will be to annihilate Taaszon, destroying these Sith before we can even become a thorn in Palpatine's side.

"I don't know who this could be...I can't imagine who would betray the Jedi, nor can I think of anyone surviving Order 66 for long enough to be corrupted by Emperor Palpatine." I answered the unspoken question that both Voytana and Phanza had, revealing that I truly didn't know who this Lord Vader could be, nor did I know anything about these Inquisitors. Were the Inquisitors Force-users as well? If so, were they former Jedi or were the evolutions of the Jedi Killers like Asajj Ventress that Count Dooku employed during the Clone Wars? If they were not Force-users, how were they equipped to support Vader against any potential Jedi or Sith threats? Was I even right about their purpose? I didn't like this, we were completely unaware of this new threat, this new tool that Palpatine would be deploying against us, already having hunted down our spies.

"We need to find out who this and what we're up against." Grand Duchess Voytana summarized, spelling out the challenge in front of us. The whole purpose of these spies was so that Taaszon could remain one step ahead of the Republic turned Empire, but now, with our spies on Coruscant gone, we were blind, and, worse than that, we weren't even fully sure of why we were blind. We know that Darth Vader is responsible, but we don't know the why, the who, or the what of this situation, that adds yet another disadvantage to a growing list of Taaszon's weaknesses against the Empire. I knew more about war than any sixteen year old should, and I know that Taaszon has no chance in a war against the Empire, especially if the Empire now had a fully fledged Sith apprentice openly hunting down our spies and our agents, doing what Palpatine could not do. Right now, Emperor Palpatine still had to appear as the former Chancellor who was betrayed by the Republic, not until his tyranny was absolute could he reveal he was a Sith, and even then, I don't think he will. There is no reason for Emperor Palpatine to reveal that he is the Dark Lord of the Sith, his current status in the galaxy could only be threatened by that information. That could have been somewhat of an advantage for us, but no, now there is Vader, this towering cyborg who has no such limitations or appearances to keep.

"Our spies are out of the equation and Zaliza doesn't know, I fear our only remaining option is to consult the underworld." Phanza sighed, her tone dripping with just how unsavory of an option that was, but it seemed the only option. I was sure that Phanza had more supplies in the Empire, not just on Coruscant, but, considering that her spies on the capital were just purged and a Force user, if not a group of Force users, were hunting them, perhaps it wasn't a good idea to contact them now, as trying to answer this question could potentially lead to the rest of Phanza's spy network being liquidated. I didn't know which Jedi Vader could be, if he ever was a Jedi to begin with - that left the underworld. The crime syndicates, slicers, and information brokers of the galaxy prided themselves on knowing anything and everything they could, especially if they weren't supposed to know it. These were criminals of the highest order and their information often came with a high price, but, even I had to admit, I didn't see any alternative right now.

The Republic had a mandate to fight the underworld, to stop these slavers, and to spread democracy wherever possible, but the Republic sacrificed these morals and overlooked the crimes of the Hutts, in a process which began long before the Clone Wars. The Republic, even before Palpatine, was ineffectual during the Trade Federation's invasion and occupation of Naboo, a blatantly illegal act that was allowed to happen thanks to corruption, bureaucracy, and, admittedly, Palpatine's influence, even as a Senator, played a role, but the point remains, the Republic was supposed to oppose the Hutts, not ally with them. I didn't want to work with the Hutts to begin with, but at very least the Grand Duchy of Taaszon had no obligation or purpose to fight the Hutts or any other crime syndicate. I know that seems like a small distinction, but it is a matter of principles and purpose - for better or worse, the Grand Duchy of Taaszon does exactly what they set out to do - survive, remain hidden, and spy on the galaxy while attempting to gain strength and numbers. At the end, neither the Republic, nor the Jedi, were doing what they were supposed to, and perhaps that is why we're so vulnerable to Palpatine.

"Very well, go to Nar Shaddaa and meet with our contacts. I don't need to tell you to be wise and be discrete." Grand Duchess Voytana ordered before Phanza and I bowed once again, Lady Attam pulling me out of the room by our still conjoined hand. I only released Phanza's hand once we were out of the throne room, I didn't know what it meant that I was comforted by a Sith, though considering that I wanted to be comforted in the presence of a Dark Lord of the Sith, I suppose I could be in a worse scenario. It didn't really help that anyone else that could comfort me in such a situation was dead, thanks to Palpatine no less, a man who, while powerhungry and deceptive, I assumed was basically harmless. A threat to democracy? Sure, corrupt? Quite possibly, but an existential threat to the Jedi? Not even the most cynical of us could have predicted that. Of course, that alone was enough for Phanza to pressure me to kill Palpatine, and, perhaps in retrospect, that would've been the right thing to do, but neither of us knew that back then. Even when Phanza told me about the clones being Palpatine's favorite executioners, which I initially assumed were the Jedi, we couldn't predict the scale of Order 66. Perhaps the Temple bombing should have served as a warning, when Ahsoka Tano was being hunted down and tracked for a crime she didn't actually commit...the Jedi didn't seem to learn much of anything from that grand embarrassment.

"Come on, we need to get you a disguise. A Jedi isn't going to meet with the criminals and syndicates of the galaxy." Phanza explained, spelling out the fact that we would never be safe in the galaxy at large again, we would always be hunted by the Empire and by anyone willing to collaborate with them. Even on a brief, illegal, and hidden trip like this, I couldn't show up as Zaliza Vyvan, the last of the Jedi Padawans, I needed to be disguised, I needed to lie, deceive, and hide just to stay alive if I ever left Taaszon. I didn't mind Lady Attam and I had to admit that Castle Attam was a beautiful place to live, but even then, I couldn't imagine myself living in Taaszon for the rest of my life, but what other alternative was there? I had to be disguised, even on a lawless world like Nar Shaddaa, where even scum like Exiim Abarghe and Dalenda the Hutt were able to live out openly, I had to hide the fact that I was a Jedi. Phanza would have to be disguised as well, considering she too was a rival Force user, but I suspected she already had a plan to disguise herself when meeting with the underworld - similar to how Phanza's spies often don't actually know about Taaszon - I suppose we're all entering an age of obfuscations and lies.

* * *

In the end, it was a brown leather jacket over a white top, I wore white leggings tucked into black boots, with a pair of twin holsters on my thighs. My hair was tied back into a bun and I wore contacts to make my eyes appear pink, rather than purple, all of this was in an attempt to make me look like a Zeltron bodyguard Phanza had taken on, rather than as a former Jedi. Lady Attam was very thorough with this ruse, not only did we buy a pair of blasters to fill my holsters, but we had them illegally modified in a fashion that was typical of high end criminals. I didn't look nor feel quite like my usual self, but, as we traveled to Phanza's hanger, the Sith Lord insisted that was the point, stressing that she would be changing into her own disguise as well. Curiously enough, we continued past the hangar holding the _Ultimate_ , heading to yet another hangar that I haven't seen yet. Phanza and I rounded the corner and entered the new hangar, revealing a luxurious, asymmetrical chrome pleasure craft. The craft started out simple enough, with a long, split nose design with two long, flowing, almost blade like protrusions framing the cockpit, however, past the cockpit, the asymmetry began. On the right side - relative to the cockpit - the blade design swept back into a traditional wing, however, on the left side, another, smaller split blade design, mimicking the main structure of the ship, was arranged vertically, one side below the main structure of the ship, the other side above it. A somewhat short stabilizer fin aligned with the cockpit completed the design, the rear of the ship simply made up of two wide, trapezoidal opening, the actual thrusters hidden inside of them.

I hadn't thought of this, but it makes sense, Palpatine no doubt knows the design of Phanza's personal ship, in fact, he probably even knows the _Ultimate_ by name, of course we would need a different ship for this. I just didn't take Phanza's extreme preparation into account, yet here we are, the woman not only has disguises, but she has a starship to go along with the disguises. For all we know, Phanza has been to Coruscant countless times before deliberately revealing herself to receive an audience. I wonder how many times this ship has been caught on the Republic radar and allowed through, the officers responsible having no idea what they were truly dealing with. Of course, I was happy that Phanza was still alive, as weird as that is to say about a Sith, but, at the same time, between her activities and the tragic coup that Palpatine managed, I can't help but think of how useless the Republic and the Jedi were revealed to be. We have all these laws, oaths, and creeds saying we must fight the Sith and stop them from conquering the galaxy but, as two high profile Sith have revealed recently, we're not very good at it after all. Though I suppose we shouldn't be, after all, we were supposed to be keepers of justice, arbiters of peace, and defenders of the defenseless, but...it was also so difficult. It was almost a paradoxical set of failures that led to the massacre of the Jedi - we were too warlike and lost sight of our values, however, we did not go far enough in fighting the Sith, at the same time however, an outright purge on the Sith would also defy our original values - and I couldn't pretend to have all the right answers this time.

"This is the _Chancellery_ , the personal starship of Zapnha Tamat, Nautolan stateswoman, galactic information broker, owner the Star Cluster casino on Nar Shaddaa, and Grandmistress of the New Order of Revan." Phanza explained, showing off the ship. I rolled my eyes when realizing her cover identity was an anagram for her actual name - I was expecting something a bit more clever and thought out, to be honest - however, considering we live in a galaxy of trillions of people, and the fact that, as I later found out, Zapnha and Tamat are actual, fairly common names in the Outer Rim, I suppose that it was possible for two individuals to have names which are anagrams for each others. That being said, I hope that Phanza had a good disguise and a way of covering up those tattoos, because, while an anagram alone may not be incriminating, an anagram, matching distinctive tattoos, and a companion the same species as Jedi who wasn't verified dead...that would not slip past Palpatine's radar quite as easily. In any case, I now had my answer of what the Star Cluster was, a casino that was, covertly, owned by the Sith of Taaszon and used as a front for many of their activities in the wider galaxy. As for what the New Order of Revan was, that raised some questions - especially considering that the Jedi still have records of the Sith Empire and Republic having to make a brief truce to battle the original Order of Revan.

"You're the Grandmistress of a cult that doesn't even worship you?" I quipped, fishing for an answer but not trying to make it seem like I was interrogating the Nautolan. Any humor that my remark could have had was drained out like a vacuum upon the realization that I really didn't want to offend or hurt Phanza, the Sith was the last person I had left, the last reminder of life before Order 66. Without her, everyone that I knew from the Republic was either dead or had betrayed its ideals and defected to Palpatine's vile and evil Empire. The death that hurt most was, of course, the loss of my master. I saw Palpatine send the message to Commander Warlock, that meant that Master Avdune and I had more warning of Order 66 than any Jedi in the galaxy, we survived their ambush, we even survived a sniper bolt before fleeing into Count Dooku's former sanctum, we were so close to escaping it, so close to a miraculous survival, but then she had to sacrifice herself so that I could escape. Ullara never gave me the chance to try and see if we could escape together, by the skin of our teeth, escaping to Taaszon, but no, she's dead, now, here I am, alive, with no one else but a Sith, granted, an exceptionally peculiar one, but a Sith nonetheless.

"Well in retrospect, perhaps Zapnha should have founded the Cult of Phanza Attam, having a cult would be so much fun - I could order them around and use them for cannon fodder." Phanza replied, her own wit having a noticeably darker twist to it, likely a result of her Sith background, despite her otherwise nice, if occasionally biting and brutally critical, personality. The Nautolan, sensing both that her joke didn't quite go over well and that my thoughts had gone down a dark path, decided to distract me with an answer while we boarded the _Chancellery_ "The New Order of Revan was founded when my predecessors, agents of Taaszon operating under pseudonyms in the larger galaxy, wanted to create a partner organization loyal to our cause without openly being affiliated with the Sith. Thus, Revan, who had been a Sith, though, more significantly, a Jedi before and after that, was the obvious figure to frame this organization around. The organization still operates in the shadows, obviously, however, having members exposed was not automatically a death sentence under the Republic, though now...perhaps things are different. In any case, my role with the Order of Revan is one of my ways of coordinating spies, contacting the criminal underworld, and opening doors in places you may never expect. Essentially, it's a means to an end, though don't let the Neo-Revanites know that, to them, it's practically a religion."

"Wow...that is incredibly pragmatic and cynical." I admitted as Phanza showed me to my room - the ship had the captain's master bedroom, plus a somewhat smaller, though still ostentatious, second bedroom. This all fit with the image, after all, it wouldn't make sense for a pleasure craft to have a military style crew quarters, however, I was sure that the _Chancellery_ had a star cruiser's worth of hidden weaponry, though even that was not necessarily out of line for such pleasure craft. I mean, just a few years ago, Senator Amidala's body double was killed in a bombing attack on her ship as it landed on Coruscant. Speaking of, I hope that the Senator is okay, the woman was always a friend of the Jedi and a champion of democracy in the Senate, now, both of those things would likely make her an enemy of Palpatine, if the Sith Lord hadn't already killed her, that is. I tried to shake these thoughts away, if I was ever going to fall asleep on the journey to Nar Shaddaa, I had to get my mind off of such tragedies. I needed to be well rested, especially if our questioning of the underworld is going to involve the likes of the Hutts. I didn't even know if I had the patience to face one of those awful slavers, now that Thonna Ai'sunn was doubtlessly killed.

* * *

My admittedly light sleep came to a shift end as the _Chancellery_ lightly lurched out of hyperspace, over Nar Shaddaa, Nal Hutta floating below its urbanized moon. Nal Hutta, with its factories, refineries, pollution, and swamps, is the true face of the Hutts, but the gaudy, seedy, and towering cityscape of Nar Shaddaa is what they want to present to the rest of the galaxy. I wasn't exactly looking forward to this, however, I knew that we needed to depend on unconventional sources of information to stay ahead of the Empire - first it was Phanza's spies, but, considering that isn't an option right now, we need to consult the underworld, seeing what they know - if this worked, it would be rather concerning, considering that criminals and lowlifes had a great deal of information on the Empire, which means that they had just as much knowledge, if not more so, on the Republic.

I stepped out of my room to see Phanza, dressed in an elegant black dress with a red sash, applying red makeup over her tattoos, masking her face and the head tails, a black, silver, and red tiara sitting on the table in front of her, ready to go on once her tattoos were covered. This, I had to admit, was a much better way of hiding her identity than calling herself Zapnha Tamat, so that filled me with a little more confidence of us remaining hidden. I was sure that Phanza was intelligent enough to manage a better name, but perhaps it was easier to play it simple, more memorable, and it left the potential for Phanza to switch to a more advanced identity should this one ever get compromised.

"I hate doing this, you know." Phanza began, talking about covering up her tattoos "Darth Imperius, an ancient Sith, was a red-skinned Twi'Lek, a former slave who became a Sith, and on her face and Lekku she wore these exact types of black tattoos, they became somewhat of a symbol of her. Imperius was also the beginning of a line of masters and apprentices that extends all the way to Grand Duchess Voytana and myself. These tattoos represent who I am, the next figure in a lineage that has shaped Taaszon more than even the hereditary line of the Grand Dukes and Grand Duchesses, yet I have to cover them up now. I'll have to cover them up a lot going forward I fear, avoiding the Empire. I'd imagine that's what Palpatine wants though, a suppression of identity - there is no place for a lineage that rose from slaves to the Dark Council in a single generation, a lineage that remained at the top of the Sith Empire's society until the very end, and a lineage that has been instrumental in the creation of Taaszon - no, not even his own lineage matters to Palpatine, all that matters is his own power."

I listened as Phanza ranted, knowing that she didn't mean a lineage in the conventional sense, rather she meant a lineage as in the line of masters and apprentices tracing back to Darth Imperius - presumably the individual that Imperius Prime is named after - and I actually liked this idea of lineage. It was certainly a lot easier being a Jedi thinking of myself as the continuation of Ullara's lineage, rather than that of some mysterious Sith who operated out in the galaxy sixteen years ago. A Sith-Human hybrid then, I always thought of myself as an alien, but I'm half-human, and the other half is a specie that was just as dominant and oppressive as humans have ever been, if not more so. I was never a Zeltron, my bloodline doesn't come from aliens, it comes from oppressors and conquerors...yes, a Jedi lineage would be much preferable to that. Nevertheless, I couldn't help but find it ironic that I was the Jedi product of a Sith bloodline while Phanza was the Sith product of an alien bloodline, and even the Sith lineage she connects herself to originates with an alien.

"I know how you feel, I have just as much to hide as you do." I sighed, feeling uncomfortable without my lightsaber on my hip - it would remain hidden onboard this ship, Phanza insisted that was the safest place to keep it - however, now, seeing her dress, I couldn't help but be drawn to the black, red, and silver scabbard at her hip, and the curved hilt of her lightsaber emerging from it. First of all, this was a very odd way of keeping a lightsaber, a which which Phanza had never previously carried her weapon, second of all, she was going to carry a lightsaber out there, on her hip, despite the fact the Empire was hunting us and everything else. I couldn't help but question this, it seemed like such a bad idea and so anathema to the effort she was putting into hiding her tattoos "You're going to carry your lightsaber out there? How are you going to explain that one away?"

"The idea is that it is a war trophy. The fact that I, an ordinary woman as far as they know, somehow has a lightsaber, creates a difficult question in the mind of any criminal or rival who encounters Zapnha Tamat - how did she get this lightsaber? Did she kill a Jedi? Does she know how to use it? - and, in turn, the mere existence of this weapon keeps me safe from anyone who would try anything against me. Combine that with your presence, we won't have any trouble, even as we meet with some of the most dangerous criminals in the galaxy." Phanza explained as she finished covering up her tattoos, washed the red makeup off of her hands, applied a glossy coat of black lipstick to her lips, and put on the tiara, the luxury headpiece settling just before were head tails began, filling up the expanse of her forehead which looked rather blank without the black angular designs extending around her face from their origin at the tip of her head tails. Evidently, these tattoos have their origin in Twi'lek slave culture in the ancient Sith Empire, however, the Phanza wears them due to their links to Sith culture, rather than out of any sort of alien camaraderie between Nautolans and Twi'lek - as far as I know, nothing links those species beyond the usual coexistence in the larger galaxy. In any case, having calmed my fears, Phanza headed to the cockpit to oversee the landing, I joined her there, despite the fact that neither of us were necessarily pilots. The autopilot handled the landing largely autonomously as Phanza and I sat on either side of the hidden console containing the _Chancellery's_ wayfinder.

* * *

I followed Phanza as we walked through the extravagant, neon decor of the Star Cluster casino - long, purple lights framed the main section of the dome over the gambling floor, and between those two purple light strips framed a fabulous, beautiful, starry sky, a fictional one, but a wonderful one, filled with colorful nebula and, fittingly, beautiful star clusters, and all of it rotated slowly, to add to the impression that this is a real sky. the top of the dome contained the actual lighting, painting the room in such a way that was both bright and dim, all designed to make it impossible to tell what time it truly was. The Star Cluster, like all casinos, fed into compulsive gambling, keeping people on the floor for as long as possible. I couldn't help but take in my surrounding, but Phanza welcomed it actually, telling me that, so long as I kept an attentive scowl on my face, it would simply look like I was a suspicious bodyguard, feeding into my cover. Phanza, meanwhile, naturally stepped into the identity of Zapnha Tamat, throwing an extra sway into her hips as the galactic femme fatale type strolling through the casino like she owns the place, the fact that she actually does almost seemed irrelevant to the fact.

Dripping with her own confidence and guiding me through the casino, Zapnha barged unannounced into a conference room, a wave of blasters were aimed at as she strolled into a room filled with Nar Shaddaa's greatest criminals. I, playing the part I was given, merely raised an eyebrow with my hand on my belt, a deadly mix of casual confidence and reaching for one of my twin blaster pistols. The criminals lowered their guns before before the double doors closed behind us, knowing they were in Zapnha's casino and not wanting to test how dangerous the woman is, nor knowing what to expect from me, her new bodyguard. I took a quick survey of the room, Dalenda was here, however, the Hutt Lieutenant, either out of stupidity or a Hutt disdain for other species in general, didn't recognize me, and the incident with Exiim Abarghe evidently hurt his reputation, as Dalenda wasn't here alone, accompanied by - and seemingly subservient to - a larger, older Hutt with a cybernetic arm and a matching eye implant, allowing that Hutt to access their most sensitive of records at will. Other than the Hutts and their Gamorrean bodyguards, the Exchange was represented by a green skinned Twi'lek dancer and two other dancers which served as her bodyguards, a collection of IG series assassin droids filled one corner of the table, and, opposite of them, sat a diverse set of hunters, representing the Bounty Hunters guild. A human dressed ridiculously in goggles and a longcoat sat next to them as an independent slicer, and, finally, a number of independent Pykes - evidently having somehow escaped Maul's subjugation of the Pyke Syndicate for his Shadow Collective - completed this unruly set.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Zapnha began, speaking with a standard Republic accept rather than her typical posh one, she circled the meeting table, trying to make this jump of criminals as uncomfortable as possible, even stepping on Dalenda's tail - she didn't do that to the Hutt who was truly in charge - as she made her way around, brushing her cold fingers across the bare shoulders of the green skinned Twi'lek in such a way I didn't like, for reason I didn't quite understand. In any case, as Phanza circled around and tormented these criminals meeting in her own casino, she made her speech "I'm sure whatever business you were preciously discussing was _very_ important, but I'm not going to let a brain trust like this into my casino without extracting a little toll. Bribes and favor are all well and good, but information is a valuable resource. Palpatine has a six and a half foot tall Jedi bodyguard in a black armored suit. All the other Jedi supposedly betrayed the Republic and were killed by the Clones. I want to know who this enforcer is, how did he survive, and whether or not he's going to be a threat to my businesses and operations throughout the galaxy. I know you paranoid bunch of freaks have been looking into him, tell me what you know."

Phanza settled at the head of the table, taking a demanding stance, and I circled the room, settling next to her, watching the table and watching the entrance closely...between the uncomfortable feeling in this room, my own uncertainty in the disguise, and the tense feeling of impending doom that I've been struggling with ever since Order 66...I had a bad feeling about this.

"I don't know anything Zapnha, I lost contact with the Exchange branch on Coruscant and, all of a sudden, I see the news reports of Palpatine's conference with Darth Vader." the Twi'lek woman revealed, a sentiment that was echoed by the Hutts, Pykes, slicers, and bounty hunters...the situation was worse than any of us thought, it wasn't a simple targeting of our spy network, Palpatine used Vader to eliminate any threat to him on Coruscant. This wasn't a coordinated strike on our spies, this was Vader wreaking havoc on anyone he could reach that wasn't loyal to Palpatine's new order. All of the flaws and weaknesses in the Republic were intentional, every slicer that ever accessed the Republic database was a deliberate oversight so that Palpatine could justify the existence of a brutal faction of Inquisitors and a chief enforcer in the form of Vader, and now, those new living weapons would be deployed against any surviving Jedi, the Sith of Taaszon, the criminal underworld, any planetary resistance movements, and anyone else that would dare oppose Palpatine.

"We remember what happened last time the Pykes did business with the Sith. Perhaps you should let sleeping dogs lie, Lady Tamat." the leader of this faction of the Pykes warned, reminding everyone of all the resources and lives wasted when the Pyke Syndicate was forced to go along with Maul's occupation of Mandalore, which, in retrospect, was probably part of Palpatine's plan as well. Palpatine's plan. That little thought filled my head like an alarm klaxon as I could sense a number of presences in the Force entering the Star Cluster casino, two of which were strong in the Force. Phanza felt it too, based on the subtle change in her body language, but she wasn't quite as panicked as I was, because I sensed something else with these two presences. I couldn't quite identify who just yet, but I knew I sensed these two figures before, I knew they were former Jedi, and I knew that they couldn't be Palpatine. The Chancellor hid his presence in the Force, I didn't know what his presence felt like, nor did Phanza, so that meant Vader and...who? One of those inquisitors?

A breaching torch lit up the door as Phanza and I knew we were about to find out. Joining an unlikely alliance of assassin droids, Hutts, gangsters, bounty hunters, and a slicer, I readied my unfortunate loadout of two blasters and Phanza dropped any semblance of unfamiliarity with her lightsaber. The time for hiding who we were was over, we were compromised anyway. This was now a matter of survival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger, I know, but we'll pick up with the next chapter in two weeks time.
> 
> Ciao!


	14. Ghosts of The Fallen Order

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! We pick up right where we left off, enjoy!

Act II.

The Heart of Darkness.

Chapter XIV.

Ghosts of The Fallen Order.

* * *

I didn't know what was going to happen as the door to this room was melted away, however, what I least expected was for Phanza, who had just a moment earlier been posed and ready to fight, to deactivate her lightsaber and walking over to the door controls. Suddenly, a room full of hardened criminals and a disguised Jedi Padawan was rendered absolutely speechless when Phanza, disguised as Zapnha Tamat, opened the door as the clone troopers were cutting through it their torches, walking over to them with her hands on her hips. The clones, now dressed in utterly bland, utterly white versions of their armor, completely devoid of personality and individuality, seemed just as shocked as we were, having never seen a woman this brazen before. Not only was Zapnha staring down at these clones, but she was so sure of her actions that she looked properly pissed off, as if she had the audacity to, as a mere casino owner, stare down instruments of Palpatine's control and tell them off for damaging her door. Of course, I knew that she was a Sith and had the power to back it up - given that her first reaction was to fight with a lightsaber, I suspected many of these criminals had questions about her, to say the least - but even I thought this act was absolutely shocking, after all, these clones literally just killed thousands of Jedi around the galaxy, including my master and, very nearly, myself. I killed clones to escape Ypherro, I killed more cones than was strictly necessary, now, am I really going to see a Sith Lord get us out of a fight with these clones simply by bluffing? No, there is no way that this could possibly work.

"Excuse me, just what the hell are you doing to my door?" Zapnha asked the clones, getting in his face as the clone with the cutting torch got up, the others legitimately not knowing how to react to her, some kept their guns drawn, others, cautiously, tried pulling their commander back, and a few were honestly too confused to even do anything as the owner of the Star Cluster casino took him to task.

"Civilian, step back and identify yourself." the clone commander ordered, pushing the Nautolan back and raising his blaster. I tried not to flinch as I heard the all too familiar voice and the all too familiar gentle distortion of the helmet, the one I heard so many times before, and the one that betrayed me and the rest of the Jedi because of a few simple words from Chancellor Palpatine, but even if I did, everyone was too focused on Zapnha Tamat and the clones she was arguing with to notice my reaction. It was a strange experience, being in a room full of criminals as enemy clone troopers interrogated a disguised Phanza, what was even stranger is that, somehow, no one has fired off a weapon yet. Sensing that it was safer to do what the clones said, Phanza played along, meanwhile, I cautiously made me way over to her, joining the Nautolan and keeping my hands away from my blasters as some of the clones finally turned their attention over to me. It was hard to tell now in the cold, unpainted armor that they wore, but I may well have served alongside some of these clones during the war, now look where we are.

"I am Zapnha Tamat, the owner of this casino, and the woman wondering why a bunch of bounty hunter lookalikes are trampling over my carpets and burning through my doors - some of these doors are over three thousand years old you know, it's not easy to find replacements!" Phanza ranted to the clones, impressing me with how easily she fell into the roll of this character and, even here, when she was upset with the clones, her natural accent wasn't peaking through. In short, the woman was doing a very good job of playing her part, something which I knew I wasn't as good at, awkwardly trying to appear like a common gunslinger while up against clones and sensing those two oddly familiar presences tearing through the casino, as if they were methodically searching through the casino. In all honesty, it wouldn't surprised me, at all, if they were on the hunt for two Force presences themselves, those being myself and Phanza.

"Explain the lightsaber, quickly." the clone commander ordered, ready to fire. Phanza wasn't a Jedi, the clones likely had a full database of any Jedi known to the Galactic Republic, none of who were red-skinned Nautolan casino owners on Nar Shaddaa, nevertheless, having a lightsaber was still highly suspicious and illegal, so Phanza needed to tread carefully if we were going to get out of this situation alive. I have to assume that's her whole goal with confronting the clones like this, suspecting that the sheer surprise of this and the strength of her disguise would give us a much better chance than trying to fight our way out of here, in fact, if this succeeds, the Star Cluster casino may even survive. There is no chance that Palpatine wouldn't destroy the casino if we did fight, even if we escaped.

"It's a wonderful trophy, really, and it speaks volumes in the criminal underworld. You should get one yourself, I hear the Jedi aren't really maintaining their monopoly on them anymore." Zapnha replied, effortless, even making a morbid joke about the Jedi. I wasn't comfortable with her mocking the genocide of my order, my friends, and my mentors, but I understood that distancing ourselves as much as possible from the Jedi really was going to help us survive this, as unlikely as this seems. In the corner of my eye, I saw two clones glance at each other and lower their guns, seemingly implying that this answer was to their satisfaction, that being said, they were still at attention and would reaction immediately if we gave them a reason to.

"CT-8802, confiscate the lightsaber and her blasters, Lord Vader will deal with these two." the clone commander ordered and another clone came over and took our weapons, which we willingly gave up. The clones then formed a perimeter around us and escorted us over to the man himself, Darth Vader. I was panicking now, because, if I found him familiar, he would find me familiar - as if being Force-sensitive in Palpatine's galaxy wasn't already a death sentence - Phanza was still annoying and heckling the clone troopers to maintain her disguise, chastising them on their dirty boots and making sure her patrons were still able to gamble, receiving silence and the occasional jab from a blaster in response, however, I soon realized that, at the same time, Phanza was contacting me through our mental link.

" _I won't pretend I'm nearly as good at is as Sidious, nor can I keep it going for long, but ever since we found out the truth about him, I've been trying to replicate his ability to disguise himself from the Jedi. It's actually somewhat similar to what Sith Assassins use to remain hidden - "_ Phanza started before I mentally interrupted her. The fact that Sith Assassins are so common that there is an archetype for them is concerning enough, as is the fact they can apparently become invisible, however, as fascinating as that conversation could be, now is not the time, nor the place to have it. We're getting closer to Vader and we're running out of time, Phanza's idea working was literally life or die for us now.

" _As interesting as that is, we're running out of time, how do I do it?_ " I pressed in response, needing a quick answer. In the distance, behind us, I heard another group of clones entering the room we were just in, likely going to interrogate Dalenda and the other underworld contacts, knowing that they would escape if left unattended for too long - for all we know, some of the more nimble and less obvious ones did manage to slip out between us being escorted out and the other clones arriving - I just hoped that none of them figured out anything too obvious about us, after all, the revelation that Phanza was trained with a lightsaber would definitely warrant Vader's wrath, as if the rest of this situation didn't already.

" _Okay, here's how to do it..._ " Phanza explained, I followed along, finding that, while I could still feel Phanza clear as day through our bond and I knew she was there, I stopped being able to sense her, as if her Force-sensitivity decreased to the level of an ordinary person and, a few moments later, Phanza smirked, revealing that I succeeded as well. Not a moment too soon either, because, a mere moment later, we rounded a corner and came face to face with Darth Vader and what appeared to be a Twi'lek woman, armored head to toe, wearing an odd ring-shaped lightsaber at her hip, a very different style from Vader's traditional weapon. Who was this woman then? One of those Inquisitors that Palpatine spoke about? I didn't know, but her presence was definitely familiar, suggesting she was once a Jedi. The clone, CT-8802 handed over our weapons, Vader taking a close look at the lightsaber before igniting it. Between the red and black blade, the unique style, and the context it was in, it was obvious that this wasn't a Jedi weapon, but, if anything, that only gave Vader more questions about us.

"You are Zapnha Tamat, owner of this casino." Vader barked out, more an accusation than a question, and, all the while, his deep, mechanical breathing filled the hall, adding even more to his presence. Not only was Darth Vader massive, not only did he hold a lightsaber, not only did he clearly have powerful cybernetics boosting his raw strength, not only did he have access to the Force in a galaxy purged of the Jedi, but he had that distinctive, bone-chilling breathing, a distinctive characteristic that was only just beginning to affect the galaxy. I was definitely scared, but Phanza didn't seem phased, perhaps her experience with Grand Duchess Voytana numbed her to powerful dark side figures.

"At your service, Lord Vader, welcome to the Star Cluster casino, the finest establishment in the skies above Nar Shaddaa. Your men were rather rude to me and made a bit of a miss, but I'll forgive it, after all, I pride myself on attracting high end clients such as yourself. What can I do for you?" Zapnha asked, behaving as if this was a casual business meeting rather than a tense negotiation, all in an effort to throw the two Imperials off. Surprisingly, Vader legitimately seemed stunned for a moment - an odd image to say the least, the mighty enforcer of Chancellor Palpatine, the mechanical man meant to crush any resistance to the Empire and hunt down the last of the Jedi, was being thrown by, from his perspective, a mere fearless casino owner. The woman, who I suspected was an Inquisitor, wasn't thrown though, but I don't think she heard a word exchanged between Vader and Phanza, because, the whole time, the Twi'lek woman simply stared at me, not saying anything, just looking, as if she was trying to dissect every detail of me face. It was concerning, to say the least.

"...We are here on behalf of the Empire, we sensed two Force-sensitives here, where are they?" Vader demanded, ignoring Phanza's antics and pressing her, closing his hand around her lightsaber as if he was threatening to crush it if Zapnha didn't answer, destroying her precious "trophy" if he didn't get the information that he wanted. The fact that Phanza's cover identity was a Nar Shaddaa elite is likely the only reason we're still alive, because even Palpatine knows that killing the criminal elite on Nar Shaddaa could interfere in his business interests on the planet. No doubt the Hutts, Bounty Hunters' Guild, Exchange, and all the other organizations present will be pressing Palpatine to give them special privileges and dispensation following their interrogation. The information, illegal experiments, and contraband found on Nar Shaddaa is, in some cases, literally only found here, Palpatine doesn't want to lose that, and Vader knows it. That gives Zapnha Tamat a certain amount of safety, but it only goes so far, and Phanza and I are both well aware of that.

"Gambling, I'd hope - Force-sensitives have credits too." Zapnha replied, still taking this whole situation facetiously, but her reply did have an answer within it, suggesting that Lady Tamat didn't know about any Force-sensitives. At the same time, her answer, showing no disdain for Force-sensitives and suggesting that she'd let them gamble in her casino was a slap in the face to the Empire. Phanza was a brilliant woman and, in this alter ego, she was really unleashing an incendiary wit on Vader and this masked Inquisitor. I could almost enjoy this situation if it wasn't dripping with reminders that the Jedi are being hunted down and executed all over the galaxy, with Vader now leading the crusade against my order. Each mechanical breath a reminder that my very own survival in this situation was far from guaranteed, especially given Zapnha Tamat was openly flaunting the fact that she knew the Empire wouldn't just kill her, seeing Nar Shaddaa contacts like her useful. I wonder how much Vader knew about this alter ego - did he connect to spies to Zapnha yet? Did he know about the New Revanites? Either of those things could get both of us killed, even if everything else marked us as innocent. Phanza didn't let us simply rest on that moment, for she continued with pestering Vader "Two Force-sensitives you say? How about we split the prize then, you get one lightsaber, I'll add the other to my collection?"

"You will identify them!" Vader resorted to trying a mind trick, having his hand and using the Force on Zapnha, fortunately, the disguised Sith was smart, and she knew that such mind tricks only worked on the weak-minded. Phanza knew that, even if she wasn't a Force-sensitive, she was more than smart and resilient enough to survive this mental onslaught, thus she made a fool of Vader.

"You will wave your hand around like an idiot." Zapnha mimicked Vader's action and injected false gravitas into her voice. Here, yet again, Phanza was careful to deliberately get the action wrong, as if she really was just trying to copy Vader rather than commit an action she doubtlessly has done before, after all, the lightsaber was curious enough, but Zapnha Tamat knowing the proper motions for a mind trick? That would be a death sentence. Phanza knew what she was doing and she was playing Vader like he was an incompetent fool, but it was still frightening. This was a former Jedi turned cyborg Sith murderer, even if Phanza knew that her cover identity was somewhat safe from the Empire, I couldn't help but cringe at her remarks, wondering which one would push Vader over the edge, which one would lead to Vader snapping and killing us, which remark would lead to Vader inadvertently completing his mission?

"Stop with your games and answer me - where are the Force-sensitives?" Vader demanded, igniting Phanza's lightsaber and prepared to strike Zapnha down with her own weapon if she tried making another joke or embarrassing him yet again. Fortunately, Zapnha was indeed a smart woman and she knew that now was the time to stop joking, she instantly grew quiet and respectful.

"With all due respect, Lord Vader, I don't know about any Force-sensitives within my casino, I was busy attending a meeting with some business partners when, all of a sudden, clones are cutting through my door. You're a Jedi, right? Can't you just sense the Force-sensitives?" Zapnha asked, putting her shadowing technique to the test, hoping that, even face to face, Vader wouldn't pick either of us up as particularly Force-sensitive. I had hope that this would work, but I was also worried, because, even before this, the Twi'lek female Inquisitor was still starring at me, as if she knew me, and, considering we're both very likely former Jedi, there is a high chance she did. The Inquisitor may not need the Force to identify me but, if so, why hasn't she said anything yet?

"They've gotten away." Vader growled after searching through the Force for a few moments, he turned to the female Inquisitor, likely to give her an order, however, that is when he noticed his companion's stare. All of a sudden, Vader's attention turned to me, one former Jedi looking at another, and I tried my very hardest to put up a front of ambivalence, but, in reality, I was terrified, fearing that I was found out. My dread only increased as Vader turned back to Zapnha Tamat and asked a question that could doom the both of us "Who is she?"

"Her? She's my bodyguard, Vyvienne Alzicia, why?" it rolled out of Phanza's mouth nonchalantly, throwing out a false name derived from my actual name, but changed more extensively that even her alias. Vyvienne was derived from my surname of Vyvan, but it sounded completely different and came across differently, and Alzicia wasn't simply an anagram of Zaliza, Phanza put more thought into this pseudonym than her own, and that thought may have just saved us both from Vader recognizing us. In any case, I took good care to note that, making sure our stories would be consistent should the Empire decide to separate us and interrogate us separately, though I do hope things don't come to that. I want to get out of this situation as soon as possible and hopefully get off this planet as quickly as possible, and, in an ideal world, Phanza and the Grand Duchy won't lose control of the Star Cluster casino either.

"Silence. Sister, remain here and search the patrons, I will search the surface myself." Vader ordered, making his subordinate weed out any potential Force-sensitives amongst the gamblers and guests here, meanwhile, Vader himself was going to search the slums of Nar Shaddaa, suspecting that the potential Jedi disappeared into the crime ridden streets of the smuggler's moon. I mentally breathed a sigh of relief, the Inquisitor was dangerous enough, but the combined onslaught of Vader, the Inquisitor, and their clones? That would be deadly, even with Phanza's power and the surprise of us both having the Force, we wouldn't stand a chance. My sigh of relief was short-lived, because Phanza decided to push her luck.

"Can I have my trophy back then?" Zapnha asked, trying to get her lightsaber back. I watched Vader as, instead of speaking, he took a two-handed grip on her still ignited lightsaber, raising the curved hilt blade high above his head, and I flinched as he brought it down. Zapnha Tamat, however, did not, and, just before her head, the blade stopped - for a moment I feared that Phanza used the Force, but that wasn't it, Vader himself stopped - I realized that Zapnha, feeling invincible, called Vader's bluff, and, all of a sudden, the lightsaber deactivated and Vader wordlessly dropped the weapon for Phanza to catch it. The Dark Lord of the Sith stomped off to hunt the Jedi, not wanting to speak with the casino owner any longer, not wanting to hear her sharp tongue tormenting him when he didn't even have his usual privilege of executing Phanza for her insolence - what does it say about Palpatine and his Empire that an underworld contact is safer from their wrath than the actual clones and officers in the Imperial Army? In any case, having her lightsaber back, Phanza and I turned around and left, trying to get away from the endless stare of the Inquisitor, the one who Vader called Sister - was that a callsign of some sort? A naming scheme? I wasn't sure, not yet anyway.

" _Vader slipped a tracker on my lightsaber, he's not really leaving. I can't just destroy the tracker or he'll come back and hunt us down, fortunately, I have a better idea - a wild goose chase._ " Phanza explained through our mental link, gently prying the little tracker off of her lightsaber and dropping it on one of the circular cleaning bots - similar to the ones at Castle Attam, but not exactly the same, after all, despite her cover identity being a mere anagram for her name, Phanza was rather careful about the details, the cleaning bots at the Star Cluster were likely designed here on Nar Shaddaa, far away from the ones on Taaszon - I watched the tracker magnetize to the cleaning bot, watching it disappear into a gap in the wall and continue through the Star Cluster casino. Looking around, these little wall gaps were all over the casino, likely linked to a miniature network of access tunnels, allowing the cleaning bots to get anywhere and everywhere in the Star Cluster with rapid speed. It was a highly efficient and useful system, and it would also confound the Imperial forces tracking us.

" _Are we going to the ship then? Staying any longer will just risk us being compromised and the Empire taking your casino._ " I replied, showing just how tense I felt. I didn't believe in disguise, I was terrified of Vader, and that Twi'lek Inquisitor, the Sister, definitely at least suspects me. As far as I'm concerned, remaining here is extremely dangerous and we need to get out of here as soon as possible. We want information on Vader, yes, but Palpatine's apprentice is clearly one step ahead of us, and staying here any longer is a risk we can't afford to take. We can't remain blind to the Empire, I understand that, believe me, I know that Taaszon doesn't stand a chance against Palpatine without all the spies and subterfuge we can get, but there is nothing more that we can do here. We'll have to wait for another day, another time, another opportunity, one that may not even come. I don't want to admit this, I really, really don't, but just in the speed that Vader and the Inquisitor shut us down today, before they even knew what we were here to discuss, simply based on us both being Force-sensitive, suggests that we may be completely outmatched. How are we supposed to spy on the Empire when Palpatine and Vader clearly have superior spies at their disposal? This whole struggle just might be pointless, maybe Palpatine has truly done it, maybe he's unstoppable, how could we possibly stand a chance here?

" _Not yet, there are some thing we need to get out of here if the Empire is going to be snooping around._ " Phanza replied and I sighed, acknowledging she was right but still feeling uncomfortable in this situation. I wasn't quite sure what Phanza needed to retrieve, but I suspect it was something that could link the Star Cluster to either Taaszon or to the ancient Sith, either one could bring Palpatine's wrath down on this particular property on Nar Shaddaa. I followed Zapnha Tamat as she led me down a circuitous route through the Star Cluster, likely trying to shake off any Imperial surveillance, ending up in a corridor leading towards, below the main gambling floor of the casino. I followed the disguised Sith Lord as we entered a part of the casino that truly did look nearly four thousand years old, the lower maintenance sections not requiring the modern glitz and glamour of the publicly accessible parts of the establishment, here, it was just the old metal infrastructure working all the functions below, maintained by both the little cleaning droids and larger, more advanced units, doing whatever was required. In the relative safety of this basement section, Phanza finally felt safe speaking openly, even dropping her Zapnha accent.

"We're going to access the vault from behind and remove the virtual deed - it's encrypted, but if the Empire was to access it, they would know that the Star Cluster was still owned by the Sith, we cannot allow that. The Empire already knows about our outlying systems and they are already unknowingly cracking down on our activities within the galaxy, the last thing we need is for them to find evidence that we're the ones responsible. As long as we don't make Palpatine take an interest in us, we're just a problem he has to deal with eventually." Phanza explained, showing that her priority was to maximize the amount of time before the Empire attacked Taaszon, which again, was an understandable goal, but I wasn't sure if it was achievable. Once again, Vader's presence here was proof that the Empire is clearly capable of finding and tracking us in a time we're just not able to cope with, but...on the other hand, delaying the seemingly inevitable Imperial invasion of Taaszon was obviously desirable, and I could think of some things we could do to achieve this goal, though again, I wasn't sure it was possible now that Palpatine had Vader and the Inquisitors in his arsenal.

Propping up resistance movements would mean that Palpatine would be preoccupied with securing the galaxy - that was, obviously, his primary goal at the moment - and there was also a massive population of deactivated battle droids throughout the galaxy. Now, in retrospect, the battle droids were deliberately designed to be inferior to the clones, however, a great number of separatist battle droids and the infrastructure to wield them effectively could still prove to be a time-consuming nuisance to Palpatine's Empire, if we were able to gain control of such a population of droids. We could also interfere with the Empire's ability to wage war, destroying starships, cloning facilities on Kamino, and potentially, even resorting to such unsavory and un-Jedi like tactics as assassination, however, the latter would be more difficult to do without exposing ourselves, as who else would be attacking military resources aimed at Taaszon? Well, I suppose we could also attack military resources elsewhere, forcing Palpatine to redirect resources from a potential invasion of Taaszon and to maintaining his hold over the galaxy, but can we really destroy Imperial war resources faster than the Empire can produce them? I didn't think so, especially given Palpatine now has all the resources of the Republic, the separatists, and the approval of a Senate made up of pacified, terrified would-be dissenters and corrupt loyalists to Palpatine. There was nothing stopping Palpatine from using all his resources to fund a massive war machine.

"Hey - I know now isn't the best time to talk, but don't get stuck in your own head. You can't be the Jedi you need to be or the Sith you could be all by yourself, everyone needs friends." Phanza stopped and squeezed my shoulder, the Nautolan knew we were in a rush, but she did care about me, and despite everything, I did appreciate that. The Sith Lord also reminded me of my options, another interesting thing, rather than being a typical Sith Lord and trying to coerce me, she was giving me options and letting me choose if I want to try and rebuild the Jedi or if I want to follow her philosophy. Phanza Attam doesn't want to make me a Sith, she would like me to willingly become a Sith, and I loved that about her, as strange as that was to say. I may be living in exile, but I had more freedom and more choice with Phanza than I did under the Jedi. In any case, I could appreciate Phanza later, for now, we needed to move, and as we moved through these old, labyrinthine corridors towards the rear of the vault, she told me about her own support network "Ruumshi, Avoine, Ceyla, even HK, they're more than just companions and bodyguards, they're my trusted friends and allies. Even Grand Duchess Voytana, as unwelcoming as she may seem, is a part of my support network and, as my master, she's part of who I am today. No one is strong enough to function entirely alone, even Palpatine has Vader now."

"I'm not sure if I could ever imagine Palpatine and Vader being close, but I understand what you're saying, and I know it's true." I replied, I couldn't help but think back on my own relationship with Ullara, how influential she was to me, and how she kept my Force lightning a secret when, in reality, the Jedi truly could have punished or even killed me out of hear that I'd become a Sith, simply because of my species. I didn't really have the chance to think about just what this theoretical judgement of the now dead Jedi Council would mean before Phanza and I rounded a corner and entered a modern looking, maintained corridor, with a scanner above a small door, one which was hidden on the other side. I watched, silently yet curiously, as it scanned Zapnha Tamat and the door slid open - merely a wall from the casino's vault on the other side - and we were confronted with the diverse contents of the Star Cluster casino vault. Credits, both physical and on chips, hundreds of different alien currencies, various goods and valuables that individuals placed on a gambling table, and miscellaneous other gains - including what appeared to be a solid gold sabacc deck of all things - but, the centerpiece of this vault was the deed. It was digital, but the master copy was stored on the ancient hard drive occupying a pedestal at the rear of the vault. I watched as Phanza retrieved the proof of ownership, denying the Empire the chance of discovering who truly owns the Star Cluster casino and linking this place to the Sith Order and, potentially, to Taaszon itself.

A victory then, we saved ourselves and could now escape. We didn't have the information we wanted on Vader, but we lived to fight another day, and that, I felt, was more important than any piece of information. This brief period of being one step ahead of the Empire, however, didn't last long as, all of a sudden, cutting torches appeared yet again, cutting into the vault. Phanza could have confronted them yet again, defending her vault, but it wasn't important now, securing this information was our priority, so, before the Imperials could breach the vault, Phanza and I slipped out through the secret exit, now trying to make our way back to the _Chancellery_ , trying to avoid Vader and the Inquisitor on our way.

Thus, Zapnha Tamat and I snuck through her own casino, quickly escaping the basement and then winding through the gambling floor, trying to avoid the searching clones, the Inquisitor, and, especially, Vader, should he return, as Phanza expected. Not even two hours ago, Zapnha Tamat and I confidently strolled through these corridors, coming to learn about Vader, instead, here we were, trying to sneak around Vader's troops and feeling like criminals within her own property. This mission was a catastrophic failure and now, rather than getting information on Palpatine's Empire and his new apprentice, we were trying to keep information away from them, we wanted to equalize the situation, instead, we were even further on the back foot. I didn't exactly have the chance to think about us being outmaneuvered by the Imperials, because, all of a sudden, we entered the main lobby, seeing it crawling with Imperials, and there was no other way for us to get to the _Chancellery_. I wanted to ask Phanza what we were going to do, but the Nautolan already had an idea, heading up the stairs to the second story platform over the lobby, trying to literally go over the bulk of the Imperial force.

There were some Imperials up here as well, the blank, white, sanitized uniforms of the clones patrolling the platform, however, Phanza and I pressed a button on her gauntlet and, suddenly, from the sides of the room, giant sanitation droids came out, trying to clean the lobby as the clones grew confused, trying to maintain order - fortunately for us, the Imperials never actually shut down the Star Cluster casino and, as far as they knew, this was ordinary procedure, thus, with the clones on the upper platform distracted, Phanza and I made our way back down on the other end of the lobby, almost free. Quickly, but not too quickly, Phanza led me to the left of the wall dividing up the casino entrance and then we left the casino, coming out onto the landing platform, free of the clones inside, and seeing the _Chancellery_ out there, so close to escaping, so close to retreating back to the relative safety of Taaszon. There was, however, an obstacle, because there was a black armored figure standing right in front of our ship, skintight black suit, ring lightsaber at her hip, and a helmet over her head, opaque black glass blending into the black armor, plates descending all the way down her lekku, ending in deadly sharp spikes.

"Hello there, need a lift?" Zapnha asked, falling into character, instantly being facetious, spitting in the face of authority. The Inquisitor was, however, not focused on the Nautolan whatsoever, once again, the Twi'lek was looking at me, I could tell even with her visor, that every fiber of her being was completely and utterly focused on me. In this moment, I tried to remember if I had the mask still up, if I was still hiding my Force-sensitivity, but, honestly, I couldn't tell if I was masking myself or not, nor could I feel if Phanza was, right now, I was completely distracted with just how familiar this Twi'lek felt in the Force. I definitely knew who she was, but who exactly was it? There were a number of Twi'lek female Jedi, such as Aayla Secura, who fought with Master Avdune and I on Felucia, even stepping in to replace the 1204th when we returned to Coruscant, beginning the journey that brought Phanza and I together, but...Felucia was rough. All those clones and the separatists right there...I didn't think that Master Secura could have survived. There were a number of younger Twi'lek Padawans as well, but the only one I was particularly close with was Thonna Ai'sunn, but...no, she couldn't have survived Order 66 and, even if she did, even if she somehow survived everything, this couldn't be her, she wouldn't do this. This was somebody else, but who else would have so much interest in me?

"You, get out of here, my interest is with the bodyguard." the Inquisitor spoke, her voice was mechanically distorted, but I knew the voice I heard there. The voice I last heard after we captured Exiim Abarghe, the voice of the woman saved from a tragic pass, the woman who comforted me after I used Force Lightning against the drexl on Dxun. I couldn't believe it, I didn't want to believe it, but it made too much sense. Thonna and her master, Towaan, were the Jedi ambassadors to the Hutts, they operated in diplomacy, often without clones, her death wasn't a guarantee by any means. I was so sure she was dead though - why? Well...perhaps I wanted her to be dead, perhaps it was easier for me to think that my friend was dead than living in a galaxy dominated by Palpatine. Maybe this is why, maybe because now I have to see my friend turned into a weapon in Palpatine's arsenal.

"Becoming separated from my bodyguard isn't exactly the smartest move for someone in my position." Phanza countered, the Nautolan didn't have the full context, but she knew me well enough to know that something was wrong and she could sense my emotional turmoil, the Sith Lord didn't want to leave me alone with this Inquisitor, showing genuine concern for my safety that seemed so odd, so out of place in a Sith Lord, but that's just who Phanza was. I needed to do something though, I had no idea what I was going to do or how it was going to work, but I had to speak to Thonna, I had to figure out how this happened and what I could do to try and fix this. Of course, I had no clue how I could do this, but I still felt the need to try, I wanted to help her.

" _Get on the ship and wait for me Phanza, I know who she is_." I told Phanza through the mental link, hoping that she would go. Zapnha Tamat faced me, concerned, but she listened to me, walking away with the virtual deed. There was a small action before she left though, using the Force to levitate her lightsaber behind my back, making sure that I had a weapon in case things went wrong. I was used to fighting with a double-bladed lightsaber while Phanza's curved-hilt lightsaber was dialed in for the Makashi form, nevertheless, I would rather have a lightsaber than nothing, a weapon was a weapon, after all. In any case, we stared at each other as Phanza walked off, getting into the ship - I wouldn't put it past her to get on a hidden turret and train it on the Inquisitor's back if she tried anything - and anyone else would've thought we stood there in silence. The truth was far different, my heart was racing, beating so fast I could hear it, my first interaction with a Jedi since Order 66 and it was my friend turned into an Inquisitor, an instrument of the Dark Side, how did this happen?

"How did you survive?" Thonna asked first, a pleading hint to her voice. That gave me hope, maybe she didn't truly believe in Palpatine and his horrible cause, maybe she simply became an Inquisitor because she saw it as the only way to survive, and now, she was being confronted with evidence of another way. Not all that different, I suppose, but, for better or worse, I had to admit that Phanza and even Voytana were much less evil, much less destructive, that Palpatine and, from what little I've seen of him, Vader. If Thonna was still good, there was hope for my friend, this didn't need to be a tragedy.

"I almost didn't. Our clones betrayed us on Ypherro and Master Avdune sacrificed herself to let me escape the planet." I answered, both of us sharing a moment of silence for my deceased master. This was another good sign, she still had a connection to Ullara and to the old Jedi, Thonna wasn't entirely corrupted and absorbed by Imperial propaganda, she could be saved. Motivated by these good signs, I continued "After that, I got R9 and my starfighter, escaping to Imperius Prime. I've been living with Phanza ever since, hidden from the Empire outside of known space. The only reason we were here on Nar Shaddaa to begin with is because we were trying to figure out who Vader was."

"No - Zaliza, you can't go digging into Palpatine and Vader, they will catch you and they will kill you!" Thonna almost panicked, stressing just how miserable the situation was, her warning echoing my own suspicions of this line of inquiry.

"Thonna..." I tried to reply but she instantly interrupted me again, her mask still distorting her beautiful voice into this menacing, mechanical mess that I knew didn't belong with the Twi'lek, but it didn't seem that she had much of a say in the matter whatsoever.

"You can't use that name Zaliza, I can't have that name anymore. I'm the Third Sister now." Thonna answered, revealing her full title - the Third Sister, much like the clones, this was entirely devoid of individuality or agency, just a numbered name, implying that these Inquisitors were just disposable pawns in Palpatine's galactic game. Thonna won't be the last Third Sister, honestly, depending on how risky the Inquisitors' missions have been so far and how rigorous their training has been, she may not even be the first Third Sister, but she certainly hasn't been Thonna Ai'sunn since Order 66.

"Thonna, you can't let them take your name from you, use your power for evil, and throw you away when they don't need you anymore, there is another way. Please, come with us, let us help you." I tried to plead with her, probably too soon, but I didn't know what else I could do, and I knew that time was against us. If Vader or even just some clones arrived on this landing pad, Thonna would need to play the role of the Third Sister Inquisitor and fight me, that's a fight I didn't want, a fight that I couldn't bear to fight against someone who I considered a dear friend not very long ago at all.

"I told you, it's the Third Sister." Thonna replied, I could almost feel like cringing under her mask, as if she didn't want to argue this point but felt she had to...what did the Empire do to her? I wanted to argue against the whole situation, but before I could, the Third Sister continued, this wasn't Thonna speaking anymore, this was the power that the Empire had over her "I can't do that Zaliza, I shouldn't even be letting you leave here. I'm taking enough of a risk as it is, so please, get out of here, leave Nar Shaddaa before Vader discovers you. I will try and lie on your behalf."

It broke my heart to hear this, to hear this woman, the woman who just barely managed to avoid being enslaved by the Hutts thanks to Master Towaan, now reduced to a slave of the Empire, an instrument for Palpatine to hunt down any Jedi stragglers as he consolidates his hold of the whole galaxy, I thought that the Empire killed Thonna Ai'sunn, but the truth is far worse, they turned her into a weapon against her will. She was, however, risking all of that to try and save Phanza and I, putting her neck on the line to allow us to escape, and I knew I had to accept this. Staying here would only lead to all three of us being killed, Phanza and I for being enemies of the regime, and Thonna for not killing us already. I couldn't just leave like that though, I needed something, I needed a reason to keep hope for her, something that would let me save her next time we meet.

"Let me see your face." I replied, somewhat forcefully. I needed this, I needed to know that all of this was real, that I was about to fight for something real. Thonna tried to object but I was having none of it, so, finally, she acquiesced. I watched as the black visor retracted, revealing the violet face of my friend, but...it wasn't the same anymore. Her eyes were a sickly orange, twisted by the Dark Side and, in those orbs, I saw pain, suffering, and fear, all the things that Master Yoda warned about, and all of the things that Palpatine drilled into Thonna and the other Inquisitors. Her skin was paler as well, like a graying lavender, it looked like the very life was being sapped from her and, based on what little I've heard about her life as an Inquisitor, that didn't seem all that far from the truth. Her face bore the scars of Palpatine's machinations, but that only motivated me more, because I knew what that face was, what the face should be, and what that face could be again. I took a deep breath and shared one last moment with the Inquisitor before boarding the ship "Thank you, my friend."

"Just...stay alive, please." Thonna told me, a ghostly whisper in the wind just before her mask slid back on, the last genuine words that she would say for a long time. Phanza and I would escape but, for now, Thonna was doomed to continue being the Third Sister, continue hunting down Jedi and...and even killing them. I'm sure that she wanted to spare everyone she came across, but she couldn't, she needed to keep up appearances to stay alive, she needed to do as Vader and the Emperor commanded, but it didn't have to always be this way. One day, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not the day after, but one day, Phanza and I will find a way to save Thonna from the Empire, that, in every fiber of my being, is a promise.

* * *

I changed back into my robes and secured my double-bladed lightsaber at my hip, needing the familiar safety of the weapon and reminder of my Jedi past after everything that happened on Nar Shaddaa. In the other room, Phanza sat at her vanity table and washed the red makeup off of her head tails, exposing her tattoos once more, becoming herself again. It was silent other than the slight buzz of the ship's functions and the smallest of sounds coming from Phanza as she delicately and meticulously did her work, neither of us wanting to break it with an admission of our failure. Failure, that's what it was, what else could we describe it as? We came to learn about Vader, instead, all the underworld contacts we spoke to were arrested - and news travels fast in the criminal underground, no one will be wanting to talk about the Empire now, his attention is clearly bad for business - we knew nothing more about Darth Vader, and now I had to live with the knowledge that Thonna Ai'sunn is not only alive, but forced to work for the Empire.

I was already lucky to be alive, but now I felt even more guilty. I'm living in a damn palace on a planet the Empire doesn't even know about while Thonna Ai'sunn and other former Jedi are being brainwashed into pawns and murderers by the Empire, that's on top of the people who are being forced to live under Palpatine's new autocracy and the clones who are literally mind controlled by Palpatine somehow. People are suffering, clones are suffering, and former Jedi are suffering, and all I have to show for it is wallowing in my own misery on Taaszon making hollow overtures about how I'll rebuild the Jedi to avenge Ullara. How can I rebuild the Jedi when I can't even identify a former Jedi in a helmet or save my best friend from the clutches of the Empire? Failure doesn't just describe our mission, it describes my whole life at this moment, a stupid, scared little girl alone in a harsh and hostile galaxy.

"You're not alone." I rose my head and found Phanza, free of her makeup and changed into a light, purple silk leisure robe, standing in my doorway. Once again, I forgot about the mental link between Phanza and I, forgetting that, in times of distress or emotional turmoil, I was practically broadcasting my thoughts to the Nautolan Sith. This was yet another thing that represented my uselessness, I had a Force bond with a Sith Lord and, rather than actually figuring out why or how it exists and how I can sever it, I can barely be trusted to remember it. Perhaps even worse than that, when I do remember the Force bond with Phanza, I find myself wanting it, I find myself wanting to be closer to this fascinating woman, forgiving the fact she's a Sith.

"I am though, I'm the last Jedi in the galaxy." I lamented, wanting to vent my emotions, telling Phanza about what I experienced on the landing pad once I asked her to leave the two of us alone "Anyone else who survived is either an Inquisitor or going to be killed by an Inquisitor. I thought Thonna was dead, or maybe I just wanted her to be, instead, she's an Inquisitor. She's the Third Sister, and I have no idea how we can possibly save her from he Empire. I want to save her, I need to at least try, but what will Palpatine do to her if I fail? What if I get my best friend killed by trying to save her?"

"You won't fail and you're not alone. I'm helping you Zaliza, and I want to be there for you. We're linked in the Force, when you're hurt, when you're sad, when you're upset, I feel that, and it breaks my heart." Phanza revealed, bringing up the extent of the Force Bond. Perhaps she was stronger in the Force than I was, or perhaps, considering she was likely exploring the Force Bond while I was trying to repress it as a Jedi, she's simply more aware of the connection than I am, but either way, she's more affected by it than I am, and I haven't been considering that nearly as much as I should. Phanza must have felt the guilt flow through me as she sat down on my bed, next to me, and continued "I'm sorry about all of his, you know. I had some suspicions about Palpatine from the moment I met him, but I was never sure. I tried to clue you into my suspicions or, later on, even my evidence that he was more than he appeared, but I never got to he point where I thought that he was a Sith, I couldn't have imagined anything of this scale."

"I don't blame you Phanza, I wouldn't have believed you if you told me Palpatine was a Sith Lord, I didn't even realize until I saw the droids deactivated on Ypherro. At that point, I knew that Palpatine and the Sith Lord behind Count Dooku and the separatists were one in the same." I replied, none of us could have predicted the full truth, but we should have been more suspicious of Palpatine. The man seized too much power, he served too many terms, and his political maneuvers were always too convenient, unfortunately, the evidence came together far too late.

"Palpatine has the galaxy in his trap right now, but it won't last forever. There are those who will fight, there are Jedi who will evade the Inquisitors, and there is the Grand Duchy of Taaszon, and we will stand against the Empire. I don't know when we'll get he chance to save your friend, but, sooner rather than later, she will be on a mission without Vader, without other Inquisitors, and, at that point, we will do everything we can to save her." the Nautolan explained, detailing a sensible scenario where we could free Thonna of the Empire. I released a shaky breath, appreciating the fact that she had some kind of answer, some kind of idea for me. I felt her arm wrap around me and we sunk down onto my little bed together, both of us needing some comfort after today's events. I saw a ghost from my past and Phanza nearly lost her Casino to Darth Vader himself.

"Thank you, for everything." I mumbled before falling asleep, feeling more secure with the Nautolan than I had in a very long time. I really was grateful for everything she did for me, if it wasn't for Phanza, I would have just ran from Ypherro, running until I was killed or worse, made into an Inquisitor like Thonna was. The last thing I wanted was to be forced to hunt down my fellow Jedi, that would be a terrible fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, that was quite the chapter. Now, I admit that I did you guys a little dirty here, I built up these last two chapters like they would be focused on Vader, and, while yes, Vader will play a role in this story, we know what happens to him, it's the original trilogy. Thonna, however, is my OC and she's the real Ghost of The Fallen Order mentioned in the chapter title, not Anakin Skywalker. This story has been OC heavy and will continue being OC heavy, and that's mostly to give me freedom with the characters while remaining basically canon-compliant.
> 
> In any case, ciao everyone!


	15. The Plight of The Survivors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! It's time for chapter fifteen and, speaking of fifteen. Act two is going to be longer than act one, I'm thinking at least fifteen chapters. I'm trying to move more slowly with act two, contrasting the rapid action of the Clone Wars with the tension of the galaxy under Palpatine. I was quick with the revelation that Palpatine is Sidious and well, I kind of had to be, after all, we all know that and I already milked the dramatic irony for all of act one, but I kind of want to slowly pepper in the lore of both Taaszon and the Empire from here on out. In any case, act two is going to be longer than act one, however, I am still going to finish it before this story goes on hiatus, if this story goes on hiatus again, that is. So yes, that's the pacing and business announcements for today, here's chapter fifteen. We pick up with Zaliza after she and Phanza return to Castle Attam.
> 
> Potentially triggering chapter by the way, Zaliza is really depressed here and she can sound a bit suicidal at times.

Act II.

The Heart of Darkness.

Chapter XV.

The Plight of The Survivors.

* * *

I had wanted to actively pursue reforming the Jedi and learning about Phanza's philosophy during my time on Taaszon, sick of being so idle, so useless after Order 66. That was before Nar Shaddaa though, finding out that the Inquisitors were survivors of Order 66 forced to serve the Empire...that broke me. I suppose I should have taken that as a motivator, accentuating how unique and privileged my position was - I could actually do something to rebuild the Jedi when no one else could - or, even just personally, giving me someone worth fighting for, but I just couldn't do it. Ullara was dead, I've killed maybe a dozen clones, including ones who I considered close allies and even friends, and now, on top of all that, my best friend was turned into a tool of the Dark Side. How am I supposed to keep going? The only person who believes in me at this stage is a Sith Lord, and, while I'm thankful for everything that Phanza has done for me, it just isn't enough.

The whole galaxy has fallen and I don't know why I'm still alive, I don't even know if I want to be at this stage. Phanza promised to help me save Thonna Ai'sunn when the opportunity presents itself, but how are we even going to do that? She doesn't have hope, she's been crushed by Palpatine, how can I convince her to resist and fight when, at this stage, I can barely resist and fight? I was tired, I was exhausted, and I was defeated.

Thus, I found myself sat in my bedroom in Castle Attam. It was a room entirely too large and luxurious for a Jedi, it was a place that I didn't deserve, and I was completely apathetic about it. I didn't resist as my lifestyle became less and less like the Jedi with every passing day. I didn't live off of rations anymore, once or twice a day I would simply go to one of the kitchens in the palace and prepare myself a meal, helper droids doing anything I couldn't do myself. I didn't maintain and mend my own robes anymore - in fact, today, I was wearing a black, red, and silver robe I haven't even touched before - the droids did that too. The biggest mark against me, showing how far I've strayed from Jedi life, was that I was even falling out of practice.

For all the time that Phanza trained with her bodyguards or meditated, I wasn't doing any of that. I didn't want to train or tap into the Force, I was afraid of being reminded of the Jedi Order. I was scared of having to think about all the Jedi I trained alongside, about the younglings who came through the ranks after me, and the masters who taught us, I couldn't bare to think that every one of them was dead, if not worse. Chief among them, of course, was Master Avdune. All the times we trained together, all the times that we fought together...if I so much as did a maneuver I learned from her I would be instantly reminded of how my master sacrificed herself for me. Why did she have to do that? Now I have to live with the memories, the guilt, the terrible feeling that every moment that I'm alive is a waste. It was a brutal cycle, because with every moment I did nothing, I was reminded of the fact that Ullara died so I could sit here wallowing in misery, but that realization would only make me more miserable, more inactive, more pathetic.

That brought up another thing, mainly, what happened before the sacrifice. Why did Ullara kiss me before she sacrificed herself? The pragmatic option was to say it was just to surprise me so she could shut me up and Force Push me away, making sure I got away before we were both overwhelmed by clones, but the real explanation was better than that, even I knew that. I don't exactly have anything to compare it to, but there was meaning behind that kiss, at least I would like to think there was, and the fact that I was now left with this mystery only made me miss Ullara even more. My Master told me about the Pantoran girl, so I knew she was attracted to women and that she had historically struggled with that part of the Jedi lifestyle, but she seemed past that. As far as I could tell, there was no hint that Ullara was attracted to me in any way, no hint that I picked up upon anyway. The kiss just came out of nowhere from my perspective.

I sighed and dug the old Republic holocommunicator out of my robe, one of the few leftover relics of my time as a Jedi. I didn't dare make a call to anyone, least of all people who I expected could have survived - the Empire and the Inquisitors would no doubt catch any holocom activity on the old Republic lines - but I did do one thing. I pulled up an old head-to-toe image of Master Avdune. The blue holographic form of the Mirialan appeared before me, dressed in her usual robes, elegant with her lightsaber at the hip. Ullara was the ideal Jedi - young, talented, an excellent duelist in a time of war, and a calm and compassionate person at the same time. She was beautiful too, but modest. No offense to Master Secura - the last thing I want to do is insult a dead Jedi who I knew - but she showed off her beauty and her looks, Ullara never did, she never had to. I looked longingly at the hologram, missing my master, missing my old life, and, in the corner of the room, I heard a long, sad whine from R9...his way of mourning I suppose. I called the droid over and wrapped my arm around his metal dome, the closest thing I could give to a hug right now. He was cold, metal, and couldn't speak, but that didn't really matter, he was something.

"I miss her too buddy, I miss her too." I whispered to the droid, getting a series of beeps in reply. They sounded comforting, for what it's worth, but this wasn't real companionship either. Phanza could speak to me and promise to do everything she can to make things better and R9 may have experienced a lot of what I experienced at the end of the war, but neither of them really understood what I was going through. I knew that Phanza was absolutely right about a lot of the things she said about the Jedi and the Republic, but that doesn't mean it's what I want to hear right now. I know the Jedi are flawed, I know that the Republic fell perfectly into Palpatine's trap, but right now, I need reassurance, i need support.

* * *

Phanza finally pressured me to leave my room later that day, calling me to the library. I figured that Phanza sensed my emotional melancholy this morning and has been trying to figure out a way to help me feel better. Evidently, the Nautolan woman realized that her words of encouragement and affection, while nice and appreciated, weren't enough, so she was changing tactics. I wasn't sure that whatever Phanza had planned would work, but I was welcome for a distraction, anything to get me out of my own head for a little while. That being said, I didn't want just any distraction - the last thing I wanted right now was to go out on a mission again, not wanting to face the Empire again so soon, especially not if Thonna Ai'sunn appeared once again as the Third Sister. I wanted to help Thonna and save her from the Empire, but I didn't have a way of helping her right now, not having any solution, so, if I saw her again now, it would only be painful for the both of us. Honestly, even if I did have a solution, it would be painful - it's not going to be easier to help Thonna get over whatever Sidious did to her. If I was in this state, I could only imagine how awful it must be to be Thonna right now, the woman must be suffering.

I shook my head, regretting the situation around the poor girl, but also knowing that I couldn't do anything quite yet. I needed time, I needed an opportunity, and I needed a plan, but, right now, I had none of that. I momentarily cleared my brain of these thoughts and found Phanza on the second floor of the library, sat at a desk reading an actual paper book, written in an ancient Sith alphabet. The old Sith language was highly illegal in the Republic, a relic of the same unfortunate era when planets like Korriban were purged, and I have to wonder just how much literature and philosophy was lost thanks to these laws. Perhaps, had the galaxy been more aware of the Sith and their ways, we could have identified the pretenders long before Palpatine took over the Republic. I do have to admit I'm biased because of my time with Phanza, but, I have to wonder, is Phanza that much of an outlier? I'm sure the majority of Sith are the awful, evil types, in the vein of Palpatine - though I would guess that Palpatine is uniquely and particularly evil - but just how rare is Phanza's type of Sith? Is it just her? I didn't think so. A small faction perhaps, maybe even a good percentage of Sith, after all, something had to have influenced Lady Attam.

"Hello Phanza," I greeted, gently. I watched her black eyes quickly scan through the rest of the sentence before raising her head and facing me, a soft smile on her face, making for an interesting image. Phanza was an unabashed Sith, wearing tattoos on her head tails up to the edges of her face that marked her as part of a notable line of Sith masters and apprentices, and her own species contributed to the evil look. Her skin was a blood red - granted, my own skin was a similar shade, so I couldn't exactly judge - and she had big black eyes, but that just spelled out the enigma that was Phanza Attam. By all appearances, she was a typical Sith, and she made no secret of her allegiance or the fact that she liberally used the Dark Side, and yet, time and time again, the woman was acted I would never expect the Sith to behave. The woman cares about me, she's compassionate, knowledgeable, and merciful - she didn't kill a single clone trooper on Nar Shaddaa, finding a peaceful solution when even I thought it was impossible - and, while she is, no doubt, brutally efficient against her enemies, she is wonderful to her allies.

"Hi Zaliza, I wanted to teach you something." Phanza announced, moving over in her seat to give me room. I sat down next to her and looked at the book, obviously not able to read anything, but, well, I figured that was the point. I watched as Phanza turned back a few pages and began speaking again, gently proposing an idea to me, offering me a distraction "I was looking through my archives and I found, of all things, an ancient Sith textbook. I figured that, if you were willing, we could take a look at it and try to explore some of your people's culture. It's an archaic form of the language, I admit, but I've read ahead already and I think I could do a pretty good job teaching you, if that's a thing that you would want to do."

"Phanza, I...look, I appreciate the offer, but I don't want to learn the ancient Sith language." I replied, not wanting to offend Phanza, certainly not, but, on the other hand, I didn't want to learn this language, I still felt the Jedi stigma against the Sith to an extent. To actually go and learn the old Sith tongue, that felt like a step too far, that felt like an admission that I was falling more and more under the influence of Phanza Attam and the Taaszon Sith. Actually going and learning the forbidden language of the Sith was too taboo to turn around and still be a Jedi, at least, that's what I thought. From a purely academic perspective, it would be a nice experience and I don't exactly have anything better to do, but I couldn't just get past the moral stigma around the language. I knew it was a foolish reason but, remembering back to this morning when I looked at Ullara's image, I just couldn't fathom telling Ullara that, only a few weeks after her sacrifice, I would be learning the Sith language. I know I shouldn't be judgmental here, but I had to be, if I wanted to remain a Jedi, I needed to make a stand somewhere. As odd and insignificant as it may seem, this is where I want to make my stand.

"Zaliza, being a Sith does not automatically make you a bad person. No one is going to be mad at you if you learn the Sith language, it's not going to make you any less of a Jedi. If you don't want to do it, that's fine, but I don't want you to say no for the wrong reason. For better or worse, this is the language of your ancestors, the language of my predecessors." Phanza replied, still gentle, still calm, but pushing against me. I'm a Jedi, I've thought in battles, I've destroyed droids and killed people, I shouldn't have felt so affected by a mere disagreement, but I felt my breath hitch and I felt involuntary tears coming to my eyes. I looked away and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I didn't react like this in the face of crime lords and Darth Vader himself on Nar Shaddaa, why am I reacting like this now? I'm safe, I'm in a good place, I'm with a person I trust and appreciate, what is wrong with me right now? I tried to shut down my feelings but I felt the pathetic sobs splitting out and I felt Phanza wrap her arms around me, trying to calm me down, trying to guide me through this reaction.

"I - I just...I need...I need to breath," I spit out in between shaky breaths, standing up and taking a few steps away from the Nautolan. Phanza stood up as well but she kept her distance, a concerned expression on her face. That was odd, even with how good I knew Phanza could be, she still was a Sith, wasn't she supposed to hate the weak? Wasn't Phanza supposed to judge me for this, calling me a ruined mess of a Jedi? I didn't understand it, I didn't understand her. I didn't want to be a Sith, I didn't want to stop being a Jedi, and I didn't want to allow the Grand Duchy of Taaszon to take over the galaxy if the Empire actually fell, but, despite all that, and despite all my flaws, Phanza never spoke ill of me. Even as she criticized, dehumanized, and belittled things around me, she never actually attacked me. I could dismiss that all as her simply trying to make me her apprentice, but it didn't seem that simple. I fully believe that, if Phanza just wanted me to fall to the Dark Side, she would have made it happen already, so, either she truly wants me to come over to the Dark Side willingly, or, and this is unlikely, Phanza isn't nearly as capable as I thought of her as. Considering she wanted to teach me the Sith language, I was leaning towards the former.

"Then breath. Close your eyes, inhale, let the air into your lungs, imagine it filling them, and then, when you're ready, release it all. Exhale, clear your lungs and clear your mind. When you're done, I'll still be here, you'll be okay, and we can discuss if this is what we want to do or not." Phanza instructed, her voice low and level, everything contributing to making me feel calmer, safer, and fine, despite my reaction. I did as she instructed, breathing in and out slowly, and, as I did this, I realized it wasn't all that far off from how I used to meditate. I also realized that, despite being so close to a meditative state, I wasn't being confronted with the horrors I was expecting. I hadn't seen a backlash yet, so, perhaps naively, I decided to keep looking, to see if there was any merit to my fears after all. On one hand, I was practically setting myself up for failure, after all, I'm bound to feel something I don't want to feel, on the other hand, I haven't felt anything terrible yet, and I could be pleasantly surprised. Thus, curiosity got the better of me and I took this detour before coming back to the present.

As I continued these breathing exercises, I lightly, tentatively, reached out into the Force. I felt my own presence first, a gentle wave of blue, not quite the radiant blue and white Light Side presence that was perhaps the ideal, but still on the Light Side. I felt Phanza next, a soft hum of power coming off of her, and she was mainly purple in color, with flashes of red or blue here and there. I realized then that there was some truth to Phanza's philosophy, after all, she wasn't consumed by the Dark Side, in fact, as blasphemous as it may be to say, she felt more balanced than any Jedi I knew. Balanced between light and dark rather than balanced on the Light Side of the Force, but what if that was the right way this whole time? Now, I'm in no position to make that decision, I'm not well read enough on the ancient Jedi texts, but what if balance to the Force meant a middle ground, rather than a purely light perspective?

I was a bit bolder with my next move, reaching out further, and, this time, I felt the power of Grand Duchess Voytana. It hung over Taaszon like a storm cloud, and, like a storm cloud, I had no doubt that Voytana could release bolts upon bolts of lightning at any given moment. It was sickly powerful, but, despite that, it was still a purple color. Voytana's shade was closer to red than Phanza's, that much is true, but the difference isn't all that great. Was this the dominant philosophy of Taaszon then? With a new insight, new questions, and something on my mind rather than my own unfortunate circumstances, I opened my eyes and came back to Phanza, seeing relief flash across Phanza's face. The Sith Lord smiled, her face naturally assuming its typical smirk, but I knew there was no malice to it. Just another example of Phanza appearing evil without actually being it. It is a darker presence than the Jedi I used to know, after all, I noticed the darkness first, it seemed overwhelming on Imperius Prime, but, increasingly, I've noticed that this is not the case.

"Why do you use the Dark Side Phanza? You're nice, you care, and you seem principled. You could've been a Jedi in another life." I asked once I calmed down, so curious about my shifting perspective on Phanza. It was easy to call this woman a dark presence, it was easy to dismiss her as a Sith Lord, and it was easy to call her a threat, but the truth is very different, much harder to pin down. That purple I sensed, as if Phanza is equal parts light and dark, not a dull gray that ignored either extreme, but an equal mix of an extreme red and an extreme blue. I would have always imagined the middle ground between the light and dark to be some kind of gray, but this isn't a gray, far from it. From a certain point of view, Phanza is a powerful dark sider, from another point of view, she's a champion of the light, and from a third point of view, she's neither. It was a conundrum, to say the least.

"I use the Dark Side because it's pragmatic. Lightning and choking is a lot more useful in a fight than pacifism and dogma." Phanza answered, echoing some of our earlier conversations, and adding a critique of the Jedi, though, fortunately, Phanza left her scathing take on the Jedi at that. The Nautolan did continue though, just not attacking my order so viciously "I am who I am Zaliza, I am a Force user and I'm going to use the Force to my advantage. You don't win a war through arbitrary restrictions and morals, you win a war with killing, with efficiency, and with power. Palpatine and his clones wouldn't show us any mercy, and we can't afford to be merciful in our reprisals. The only time when mercy pays off in a war is when it can provide a strategic or tactical advantage. Prisoners have to be kept somewhere and fed, corpses don't. Turn coats needed to be fed and housed as well, however, at very least, they make themselves useful by fighting for you. We live in an age of war and resistance, this isn't the time for a Jedi, it's the time for a Sith."

I listened to Phanza's argument, cringing at moments, but...it made sense, for what it was. I suppose that applied to me as well, I was here because, even as a Jedi, I was another fighter, another body that could be useful on the front lines. She described it all as pragmatic. Again, I suppose that makes sense, Phanza isn't dark for the sake of being dark or light for the sake of being light, she does what she believes is right, what she believes is most useful, in each particular instance, rather than living according to anyone else's philosophy, only her own. Phanza's philosophy then, falls into place here. She sees the Force as something that can be molded, can be used accordingly, and she believes that she would only be consumed by the Dark Side if she allows it to happen. I wasn't sure if I entirely agreed with this philosophy, but I understood it. This wasn't some insane, completely foreign perspective that horrified me, it was simply different. I knew the Jedi perspective and my own philosophy wanted peace even more than that, but I ca understand how someone like Phanza, someone who grew up around the Sith, would have such a war driven perspective, especially given the state of the galaxy as a whole nowadays.

"May the Force serve you well," I summed up Phanza's argument, remembering our discussion on philosophy. Phanza nodded, as if to say precisely, but then let me think once again. I watched as the Nautolan closed the textbook and put it away, having decided that her idea would have to wait, this certainly wasn't the right time to introduce the Sith language, but, perhaps, she could ease some of my worries about the Sith in other ways. Thus, as the Nautolan waited to help me through this, I turned my attention back to how Phanza's perspective is shaped by Taaszon. That, naturally, evolved into me thinking about the - admittedly limited - number of other perspectives and views I've encountered on this Sith capital world.

I couldn't help but remember the Chiss bartender I spoke to about the Jedi and the conversation I had with Yevenna afterwards. The people of Taaszon are clearly a more militaristic people, they are clearly willing to do what it takes to fight and win wars, and they advised me that the Jedi should do the same. It would be easy to dismiss these as typical Sith perspectives, but...well, I'd be lying if I said I considered an alien bartender a typical Sith civilian in any way. I always imagined that civilians living under the Sith would be a poor and suffering lot, clearly oppressed, clearly living in a xenophobic society, but this quite frankly doesn't exist on Taaszon. Then there's Yevenna, the Mirialan who definitely is not a typical Mandalorian in any way. She's not a hulking, silent brute who will kill Jedi and commit terrorism to achieve her goals, she's a young and bubbly woman who just happens to be a part of Clan Ordo. That did bring up another thing: Yevenna was an alien, that bartender was an alien, and even Phanza herself was an alien. I noticed this about Taaszon ever since I got here, there is no sign of that xenophobia and oppression that we always associated with the Sith, even the ancient Sith that Taaszon originates from.

"Why are aliens so welcome here? I know the Chiss are indigenous to this part of the galaxy, but what about everyone else? I mean, you're the Grand Duchess's apprentice, this doesn't seem like the Sith state I was expecting. Why is it like this?" I asked, finally wanting some answers and clarity about Taaszon. I don't know why I reacted that way, I don't even know really what that was - was it just an emotional reaction? Was it a panic attack? I've never had one before...or was it something more, is there something wrong with me? - but, I hoped that, with some answers, I could finally feel more comfortable on Taaszon. I trust Phanza, I like this castle, and I've been pleasantly surprised by the people, even the Grand Duchess herself, but being on a Sith planet has always felt odd, maybe if I can make myself feel better here, I can avoid another reaction like that in the future.

"Well, there are a number of reasons. First of all, by the time the old Sith Empire was collapsing, quite a few aliens had risen to powerful positions, and those aliens were among the group that led the exodus to Taaszon. Second of all, when we went on that exile, we took whoever we could get. Aliens were allowed to join us, slaves were promised their freedom if they would help us rebuild and help fill our ranks, and, of course, the local Chiss were incorporated into our society. That part actually came rather easily, considering that the Sith Empire and the Chiss Ascendancy were allies. In fact, based on the ancient maps, Taaszon was somewhat of a border world back then, where Sith and Chiss culture mixed. Third of all, there is the fact that many Grand Duchesses have been part of the line of Kallig, not just Grand Duchess Voytana. This lineage from an alien, Darth Imperius, has had an effect on our society." Phanza explained, giving a number of reasons why aliens became accepted. It seemed that it was born out of necessity, Taaszon taking whoever they could get, even abolishing slavery just to gain manpower, and, over time, that necessity evolved into tolerance, and, by now, that tolerance was evolved into a healthy cooperation. All in all, it wasn't all that different to the processes that made the Republic so diverse and free, processes which Palpatine is no doubt undoing.

"So, once again pragmatism plays into how Taaszon is today." I picked up on the common theme, seeing that Taaszon was very much a society shaped by the circumstances around it. Voytana and her predecessors knew that they couldn't simply continue living on as the Sith Empire, thus, they traded their Imperial title for the title of Grand Duchess, making it clear that this was not a continuation of Dromund Kaas, rather, this was a different kind of Sith civilization. A temporary kind of survival until the Sith Empire could be reformed. Of course, it wasn't all that temporary as, even now, almost four thousand years later, Taaszon still hasn't reformed the Sith Empire, and, in fact, it seems that Palpatine has beat them to the punch, nevertheless, Taaszon lives on. They also knew that they couldn't afford to be selective or prejudiced in a time where their numbers were at a historic low. Thus, you have Phanza Attam as one of the most prominent Sith Lords in the Grand Duchy, you have a Chiss bartender in the capital city's cantina, and you have Yevenna Aphlen as part of one of the ancient Sith affiliated Mandalorian Clans.

"We are survivors Zaliza, we have done what it takes to survive, and we will continue to do whatever it takes to survive. That includes compromises and tolerance, but it also includes murder and destruction, all as and when necessary." Phanza replied, outlining what it all really comes down to. The philosophy, the society, and the pragmatism all emerged out of a need to keep some aspect of the ancient Sith Empire around. Then there's me, half a Sith, the last of their bloodline, and they're ensuring that I'm surviving. As much as I believe in Phanza, as much as I have even seen in the Force that she's not nearly as much of a dark sider as I once thought she was, my presence here has to be seen through the lens that my father was one of them. Phanza wants me to willingly come over to the Dark Side, but that's still what she wants out of this, and she evidently has the confidence that this will work, is that all just to ensure the survival of their royal lineage? Well...I would argue that no, it's not, because there's no way that they would trust me to become their Grand Duchess, even if I do become a Sith and all of that. I'm not from here, I don't know Taaszon's way of life, I've been a Jedi, even if I'm the last of the Sith blood, I'm not the best option. All of that coms before the fact that, even if they did ask me, I have no interest in that, I still want to be a Jedi, certainly not the ruler of a Sith state.

"Thanks for the conversation Phanza, I do appreciate it, but I think I need to go and think about it now." I thanked her, I think I enjoyed these little insights into Taaszon and the thought provoking nature of them more than I would have enjoyed learning a language that my values say is forbidden. I enjoyed the conversation, but now I kinda needed to be by myself and think - but not back at my room, that place is just overflowing with bad memories and reminders of everything that I'm doing wrong - I wanted to go out into the city and breath again. I liked Phanza, I will never forget that she gave me asylum when the whole world I knew came crashing down, but I can't always be around her. I can't have the only alternative being entirely by myself though, I needed to be out in public, out where I couldn't just sit there and get trapped in my own head. I wanted to think, to truly think, not to just wind up wallowing in my own misery once again.

"Very well Zaliza, stay safe. I'm just a single link away." Phanza assured me, bringing up our Force link. I didn't know much about it, neither did Phanza as it turns out, but it did have its uses, for better or worse. The fact that I could reach her at any time in an instant, regardless of any technology or signal jamming, was a comforting thought, especially given that it may well have saved our lives on Nar Shaddaa. In any case, I nodded and left Castle Attam, ready to take the taxi down to the capital city and to spend some time alone on those streets, escaping the confines of my misery.

* * *

My attention had previously been focused on the Citadel, after all, it was a giant, monolithic structure that literally stretched into the clouds over Taaszon. There was, however, more to this story, because, on the top of the mountains over the valley, there was Castle Attam. Phanza's own castle also towered over the valley, perched at the highest point of the local topography. It wasn't as tall as the Citadel, obviously, but it still had an incredible vantage point. Together, these two structures said a lot about the Grand Duchy. Castle Attam was the lair of Phanza Attam, the watchful enforcer of the Grand Duchy, the one who operated publicly and carried out Taaszon's duties in the broader galaxy, possessing a spy network that could catch anyone and anything in the capital city. Then there was the citadel, the home of Grand Duchess Voytana herself, whose power was absolutely astronomical. Voytana was high above it, away from the public eye, but Phanza was more accessible, more active, more public, and their residences served as an interesting reflection of their perception.

I wondered whether or not this was similar to the situation that Palpatine and Vader were in back in the rest of the galaxy. Palpatine, after all, kept the fact that they were Sith a secret, instead posing as the Emperor, a victim of the Jedi, and the man who finally brought peace to the galaxy. This cover was advantageous to Palpatine, definitely, but it was also somewhat of a burden, after all, Palpatine couldn't just operate openly as a Sith. Vader, who was known as a former Jedi, had more liberties, being able to use the Force, possessing a deadly lightsaber, and effortlessly crushing the Empire's enemies. It was an interesting comparison, but that's not to say that Phanza and Voytana are anything like Vader and Sidious. Vader and Sidious reigned over a galaxy that they took over through coercion and subjugation, Phanza and Voytana were the leaders that the people of Taaszon wanted. The Grand Duchy was an autocratic monarchy but the people were happy with it, cheering when the separatist invasion was repelled. I suppose that isn't a perfect example, after all, the people of Taaszon knew that the separatists were ruled by the Sith too, but the point remains, the people are happy here, that means a lot.

For all the pacification droids, Chiss police, and even Sith patrolling the streets, there doesn't seem to be all that much of a resistance against them. I could say that just means they're really efficient at crushing dissent, but it simply isn't like that, I would have noticed it by now if there was a dissatisfaction with the regime. As weird as it seems to say this, the people are happy with autocracy, the people are happy living under the Sith. In fact, they even seem to look down upon democratic systems of government, dismissing them as gridlock and the domination of the stupid. As weird as it seems to me, this was just how the people of Taaszon wanted to live, and, well, if this is what they wanted, then wouldn't forcing democracy on them be undemocratic? Being from the Republic, it's easy to say that our system is the best and others should adop it, but I've also watched that system collapse, meanwhile, for better or worse, after almost four thousand years, Taaszon is still standing. It's an interesting thing to think about, but there's already plenty of things I have to think about.

First of all, lets just start with the big one - who am I now? I was a Jedi Padawan before Order 66, I thought I was a Zeltron, and, under Master Avdune's tutelage, I was on the path to becoming a Jedi Knight. Having trained a Padawan to Knighthood, Master Ullara would have then been offered the rank of Jedi Master. I would have used my position as a Knight to try and work for reform and peace for the Jedi, hopefully with some assistance from Master Avdune. Things were simple then, I had a plan, I had Ullara, and I had ambitions. Now though, now I'm finding out that I'm a half-blooded Sith, something that the Jedi Council hid from me, something which even Ullara hid from me. It was for my own protection they would claim, and I didn't even know what to think of that. On one hand, I'm hurt by the fact that my own order and, especially, my own master lied to me like that, but, on the other hand, the truth is absolutely worse. I preferred life when I could think I was simply a Zeltron, before I had to think about this link to a culture that I was taught was a threat.

Then there was also the matter of the Jedi. The organization that was so flawed, so hypocritical, and so blind to its own destruction, but the organization that also stood for defending the galaxy, for peace, and for everything that I believed in. All the Jedi are dead now. The clones in Order 66 did the majority of the deed and now Vader and the Inquisitors would finish off whoever was left. What did that mean for me? I wanted to continue being a Jedi, I wanted to rebuild the order, but how could I even do that when I couldn't even save my best friend from becoming an Inquisitor? Phanza promised me that I would be able to use Taaszon as a place, and I had some problems with that considering I still didn't entirely trust the Grand Duchy, even if I did trust Phanza, so I had a temporary location, but that's all I had. I was only a Padawan, certainly not ready to teach former Jedi, so I couldn't ensure the future of the Jedi alone. In the short term, I'm not capable of saving my fellow Jedi and, in the long term, I'm not capable of training future Jedi. I want to be a Jedi, I want to do this for Ullara, to make her sacrifice mean something, but just because I want something doesn't mean I have any ability to make it happen.

I found myself walking aimlessly through the capital city as I continued sifting through the wild cyclone of thoughts tearing through my head. What did I think about the nature of Taaszon's tolerance? On one hand, the fact that it was all down to doing what it takes to survive diminished what I saw here, after all, it wasn't done with benevolent intentions, it was down to keep a basically evil civilization alive. On the other hand, the tolerance itself was a good thing and, in many ways, the Grand Duchy of Taaszon is very different from its Sith Empire origins, almost an even split between the Light Side and the Dark Side of the Force. Autocracy, militarism, and unabashed use of Sith titles were all common place in Taaszon, but, once again, we reach the fact that the people themselves are happy with it. That really is the most confounding part of Taaszon, on paper, it's everything that I, as a Jedi, should despise, everything that I should be fighting against, however, in practice, the Grand Duchy is completely inoffensive. The people were happy with it.

"Oh hey there Zaliza!" speaking of the people of Taaszon and speaking of defying expectations, I ran into Yevenna Aphlen yet again. We weren't quite at the Mandalorian Enclave, I hadn't wandered there lost in my thoughts yet again, but we were pretty close to it. The Mirialan was dressed in her arm and held her helmet in her right arm, exposing her green skin and black hair tied back into a bun. She didn't really look like Ullara, beyond the superficial similarities of being the same species, but it was interesting that I found another Mirialan friend on a Sith planet of all laces. My understanding is that her parents just happened to be Mirialans assimilated into Sith society before they died and Yevenna was adopted into the Mandalorians. I didn't have too much time to think of it though, because, well...Yevenna loves talking, quite a bit "I didn't think I'd find you here, after all, you don't usually come down into the city. Not that finding you is a bad thing, you seem pretty cool after all, its just kinda weird. How are you doing though? Did my answers last time help at all? I hope they did!"

"Hello Yevenna, it's nice to see you again. As for how I'm doing? Well...I'm doing the best I can I suppose, but it's hard. I don't have anyone left in my life, to be honest, you, Lady Attam, and Grand Duchess Voytana are the only people on this whole planet that I know. I've been spending most of my time alone in my room, just thinking, just remembering all the people who died, and how I can't do anything to avenge them. Phanza and I went out on a mission a few days ago, but I encountered an old friend on it, someone whose now being used by Palpatine, and seeing her suffering just made everything that much worse." I revealed, not sure why I was telling all of this to the Mandalorian woman, but it seemed like quite a relief to finally vent to someone other than Phanza, it felt good having more than one person for once. I sighed and, knowing that I would, no doubt, be confronted with a wall of questions from the talkative Mirialan, I made sure to answer the one remaining one, not wanting to fall behind my rapid companion "Your answers were insightful, though I'm not sure how I can really apply them. That's not your fault though, it's just...I have no idea how I could possibly rebuild the Jedi."

"It's hard, I understand." Yevenna replied, surprisingly quiet and solemn, her voice serious and filled with a deep empathy "The Mandalorians have struggled too, almost being wiped out countless times. Even our group here is just a small splinter of a civilization, and we haven't seen Mandalore in generations. I mean, we've seen the news reports and we know the past few decades haven't been a great time for Mandalore, but it's not the same, you know? We haven't actually been to our homeworld is what I mean, and that hurts. The Mandalorians here aren't like this, but there are groups of Mandalorians out there, usually isolated clans, who have taken on an extreme version of our creed. These guys literally won't taken off their armor or their helmets until the Mandalorians and their honor are fully restored. It seems pretty weird to me, but I guess it just shows how much our people have suffered. Now the Jedi are suffering too and, even though Jedi and Mandalorians fought in the past, it's not right seeing the Jedi like this, it's like...wrong I guess, it's a dishonorable way for your order to be taken down."

"Yeah, yeah I get what you're trying to say. The Mandalorians, for better or worse, are a warrior race and, while your creed is a lot different from our code, you have your principles and your way of fighting. Then, there's Palpatine, who betrayed us, who stabbed us in the back, and who stole the whole galaxy with lies and deception, and he's still lying to the people. I'm not a fan of war, but the Mandalorians would have at least given us a fair fight if it was you guys in that situation." I pondered in return, thinking about the different levels of evil in the galaxy. Death Watch was a terrorist group, an enemy of the Republic and of Mandalore, but they were principled, and, because of that, a faction of Death Watch fought alongside us during the Siege of Mandalore. I can only imagine what's happening to them now, probably being mopped up by the clones as a loose end. What about Maul and his forces then? Was he a pawn of Palpatine as well? Probably, dragging the Republic into yet another conflict and adding a reason to keep the war going after Count Dooku's death.

"I know this is a bit of a weird time to ask, and I'm sorry for this, but...are you going with Lady Attam to Cipher-9? Ceyla is taking me into the field with her when Phanza goes to meet with the Intelligentsia." Yevenna asked, linking herself to Ceyla. Ceyla Ordo, hmm...I probably should have picked up on that earlier. In any case, I didn't think that the Intelligentsia is as simple as the educated classes of Cipher-9, especially not if Phanza is taking two Mandalorians with her.

"I hadn't heard about this mission, but I gotta admit, I'm kind of interested now." I replied, wondering just what this Intelligentsia was and why it was such a risk. I also hoped that a mission away from the empire, surrounded with allies, could help get my mind off things and relax me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is Intelligentsia? Find out next chapter!


	16. The Intelligentsia of Cipher-9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you're enjoying the beginning of Mandalorian season two! I liked the first episode, I'm less crazy about having to wait a week - not sure why streaming services do that - anyway, here is chapter sixteen, enjoy!

Act II.

The Heart of Darkness.

Chapter XVI.

The Intelligentsia of Cipher-9.

* * *

I saw Phanza sat on her observation deck, meditating. The red-skinned Nautolan was dressed in a black and purple robe that revealed her midriff and sleeves - it was definitely the same style as the one she wore on Acina, but I didn't think it was the exact same set, I think those were a lighter color - revealing her bare blood red skin. Phanza was a beautiful woman, but it was also clear as day that she was fierce. She didn't have massive muscle or defined abs or anything, but she was clearly toned, and I'm sure that's exactly what she wanted: she wanted to be an even mixture of deadly and elegant. Lady Attam always tried to appear this way, wearing her hood as four of her head-tails hung in front of her shoulders, soft skin contrasted with the harsh black tattoos, her beauty and her past both prominently displayed. She was part of a lineage of masters and apprentices tracing back all the way to Darth Imperius - this lineage was evidently called the Line of Kallig - and she was proud of that, but she was also proud of the fact that she was a young, beautiful, and intelligent woman, and she would flaunt all of it.

I also noticed that Ruumshi and Avoine were silently converging upon Phanza Attam, and I realized that this wasn't simply meditation. Part of the reason why Phanza was so deadly, so quick, and so confident was that she had this arrangement with her two bodyguards. Phanza's meditation place was also her dueling circle and, at any moment that she was in here, her bodyguards could attack, putting her skills to the test. This was a part of Sith life that I could never see myself getting used to - I couldn't ever see myself honing my reflexes like this, I couldn't see myself training by experience like that, and I definitely didn't want to always be on edge - I couldn't comprehend how Phanza could focus on meditation while knowing that her bodyguards could attack whenever. That being said, Phanza seemed absolutely at home in this environment, it was like she thrived in these conditions, operating well under pressure. I suppose this is why she was able to get us out of that situation with Vader - Phanza was caught with a lightsaber by Darth Vader and an Inquisitor and walked away alive with her weapon, that's impressive - I certainly wouldn't have done as well as she did.

I saw Phanza open her eyes and smile at me before, in an impossibly fast maneuver, she twisted up and ignited her red and black lightsaber, catching Ruumshi's electrostaff. At this point, however, Ruumshi got used to her mistress's spins and took advantage of her unstable footing, kicking her in the stomach and knocking her over. Phanza landed flat on her back and, before she could get up, the human joined in, with Avoine attacking. The electrostaff slammed down where Phanza had just been as she rolled away, coming up on her knee, and she turned off her lightsaber and threw it. I watched, fascinated as the lightsaber hilt flew through the air at Avoine while Phanza followed it with Force-enhanced speed - I guess the rule of not using the Force only applied to Phanza using the Force directly - I watched as Phanza caught her lightsaber hilt again, igniting it just behind the electrostaff. Avoine took a deep breath, feeling the hot blade so close to her face, and she dropped her electrostaff, surrendering. The electrostaff never hit the ground, because Ruumshi caught it.

Two electrostaffs were pressed against Phanza's back, knocking her to the ground as she was electrocuted. I thought that Phanza was finally being defeated, I didn't see how Lady Attam could've possibly recovered from this, but the Nautolan was persistent. I watched as Phanza kicked Ruumshi in the shin and knocked the Zabrak bodyguard to the ground, rolling on top of her. In just a moment, the fight completely changed, Phanza went from being electrocuted to pinning Ruumshi to the ground and holding her unignited lightsaber emitter to the orange girl's throat, having won. Phanza and Ruumshi remained like that for just a moment, Lady Attam breathing heavily as she put her lightsaber back on her hip, but I couldn't help but notice that Phanza was still panting and straddling the Zabrak. I knew that the circumstances were entirely benign, but that little moment, the moment as Phanza and Ruumshi recovered from the surprise training, bothered me. I didn't know when I stopped breathing - perhaps when Phanza was electrocuted, perhaps when the fight ended, or maybe it wasn't until I noticed that beat where Phanza remained hovering over the Zabrak - but I didn't start breathing again until Phanza got up and helped the Zabrak up.

"Well fought, my mistress, you caught me off guard in the end there." Ruumshi admitted, the Zabrak seemed somewhat embarrassed in her failure, like she believed that she really should have won. Maybe that was true, she had recovered the two electrostaffs and snuck up on Phanza from behind, bringing her to the ground. Phanza should have absolutely been defeated at that point, but one little kick was enough to bring down Ruumshi and give the Nautolan Sith yet another victory. This was another part of Sith society I didn't appreciate, the Sith hate failure. I don't think that failure is necessarily a death sentence on Taaszon, they do seem to be much more merciful than the Sith typically are - another example of pragmatism as the Grand Duchy does not have enough numbers for anyone to be disposable - but they still look down upon failure. I don't think I could ever see myself fully assimilating into a society like this, where failure is never tolerated.

"It's fine Ruumshi, you did well. This training betters the two of you as well as me." Phanza reassured her bodyguards as Ruumshi returned the other electrostaff to Avoine. The Zabrak bowed her head and smiled at me before the two of them left the observation deck, giving Phanza and I some privacy. I gave a polite smile as I walked closer to Phanza, waiting patiently as the Nautolan stretched out and recovered from the fight. A sheen of cold sweat shined on her bare skin as the physical exertion of the fight contrasted with the cold mountain air of Castle Attam, perched high above the valley and the capital city. The only thing higher than this observation deck was the Citadel itself, symbolizing that Phanza was the second most powerful woman on Taaszon, fitting for the heir to the Line of Kallig. The Nautolan smiled in turn before speaking to me "Good morning Zaliza, how are you?"

"I'm okay Phanza, how are you?" I answered, not really thinking about how I actually felt. The truth is, I felt rather lost right now, I was dissatisfied with my behavior as a Jedi, I doubted my ability to make a difference for Thonna Ai'Sunn, let alone for the rest of the galaxy, and I was finding problems with Phanza's way of life as well. I didn't know how I was supposed to exist in this galaxy now. Prior to Order 66 I had friends and I had purpose, I wanted to help the Jedi find their way again after the Clone Wars, correcting our course, but now, I'm alone in the galaxy, with a Sith for a best friend.

"To be honest, I'm a little paranoid." Phanza began, kneeling down on the meditation pad as I joined her, listening "With my spies on Coruscant dead and my spies elsewhere in the Empire in hiding, I'm looking for a new line of information. Anything that can help us find a weakness in the Empire or even just some news we can use to our advantage. The problem, of course, is that we already tried the underworld on Nar Shaddaa, without much success. I don't trust the Hutts, the Exchange, or the anyone else out there anymore, we need something different. My hand is forced, I'm going to have to go talk to a group called the Intelligentsia. They are an autonomous society of spies based on a world called Cipher-9. If anyone is still able to get information out from under the nose of Darth Vader, it's the Intelligentsia, and I'm out of better options right now."

"You sound like you don't want to go there. Are they dangerous?" I asked, Phanza had her own capable spy network and, well, she was the second most powerful woman in the whole Grand Duchy, who could she possibly be afraid of? This is the same woman who lied to Darth Vader's face and got away with it, now she was paranoid in the face of the Intelligentsia, I couldn't help but be worried about this. I heard about this mission from Yevenna and, if my Mandalorian friend and Phanza were going to be there, I wanted to be there too, but I couldn't help but ask questions and wonder what was going on. I didn't understand why this Sith Lord felt paranoid about all of this.

"The Intelligentsia were formed from a variety of spies and intelligence operatives from the old Sith Empire. Some came from Imperial Intelligence, some from Sith Intelligence, some where the personal spies of Sith Lords, others yet were rogue agents, and the Intelligentsia represented them coming together under one name on Cipher-9, loyal to each other above all else. They don't care for any currency or demand, they only trade information for information. Espionage against the Empire is going to demand a high price, and I don't like giving them any more insight into me or my companions than is strictly necessary. I don't even bring the same people with me to Cipher-9 more than once, I don't want them to be able to pinpoint my close allies, so I mix up who I bring. I don't want them to figure out a pattern of behavior, so I keep my movements on Cipher-9 random and erratic. I don't want them to know about my operations, so I try to sell them information from my spies. That isn't going to be possible this time. I'm going to have to give them something about me and about my plans, and I don't like doing that." Phanza revealed, explaining just what the Intelligentsia was and how they did business. I now understood why she was feeling paranoid, whatever information we get on the Empire, we're going to need to give them something just as valuable in return, that wasn't good.

"Couldn't you simply order them to give you this information? They're enemies of the Empire too." I pointed out, after all, the Intelligentsia is part of the Grand Duchy of Taaszon and an attack on the Grand Duchy would hurt them too. That's also ignoring the cold, hard truth of the chain of command. Phanza is just below Grand Duchess Voytana herself and the Sith love their hierarchy, why couldn't she just simply use it now? I'm obviously not a fan of Phanza throwing her political weight around, but I can recognize that it's a necessary move for the greater good in this case.

"No, it's not that simple unfortunately." the Nautolan frowned, her tone indicating that she wishes this was the case "The Intelligentsia and the Grand Duchy of Taaszon have a very special arrangement, they enjoy our protection and we value their abilities, therefore, they have considerable autonomy and freedom from our usual chain of command. If I tried to order the Intelligentsia around I would be defying an agreement which has stood for four thousand years and I would be endangering any future cooperation with their spies. I'm not thrilled about giving them information, but I know that this is how it needs to be. I am not going to jeopardize this arrangement because of my own paranoia."

"Well...I would like to go with you anyway. I think we would both feel better there together." I said. I know that Phanza said she likes to mix up who she brings, but obviously she has never brought me to Cipher-9 before, in fact, I could even be the secret that gets us the information on the Empire. Surely the secret that Phanza is harboring a surviving Jedi is valuable, even if I haven't necessarily made an effort to hide it. In any case, I wanted to make sure that Phanza and Yevenna Aphlen would be alright and I had a feeling that Phanza would feel more comfortable with me along as well.

"Very well then. I am bringing Ceyla and her protege as well. I was with Ruumshi and Avoine last time I was on Cipher-9. There was also the time with HK-107 but...well, that didn't go well for anyone." Phanza smiled, standing up as she remembered what definitely sounds like a bit of an incident. I got up as well, thinking about the assassin droid. HK-107 was an interesting specimen, he was a ruthless assassin droid, yet one with a developed personality, but, despite all of that, he had an archaic speech pattern. Part of me wanted to ask more about why the droid was like that, but another part of me, perhaps the sane part, wanted to stay as far away from the HK droid as possible. In any case, I had no doubt that bringing a droid who was blatantly obsessed with spreading bloodshed and assassination to a planet populated by secretive and intensely independent spies wasn't the best idea. I do, however, feel like Phanza was somewhat amused by the whole episode, not enough to ever do it again, but amused enough to enjoyed bringing HK-107 to Cipher-9.

"I look forward to joining you." I replied before heading back into Castle Attam, having nothing left to do but wait. It was a bittersweet feeling: on one hand, I had nothing to do but sit around and wait for our mission, letting the worries and the doubts build and build over time, but, on the other hand, I had something to anticipate, something to keep my mind off of my own wretched circumstances. I suppose that I even want to worry in a way, the anticipation and the adrenaline of a dangerous mission was better than just sitting there, living with the memories. I was too young for everything I experience, I still am I think, all those clones I came to know only for them to die - or worse, live long enough to betray me - all the battles I fought. The older masters, for whatever reasons, they were able to make their peace with slaughtering so many droids, but I couldn't do that. I saw living things that could speak, think, and act for themselves, it didn't really matter that they could be turned off, what matters is that I killed so many of them. Perhaps I wasn't too young in that respect, perhaps I was simply too human. I couldn't see it as a war between clones and droids, I saw it as a war of living beings against living beings, and I had to live through that. Now, I have to live with those memories in the context of Order 66 -the droids I killed weren't even for a purpose, it was just two sides of the galaxy slaughtering each other to set the stage for Palpatine's rise to power - on top of the immense grief of that genocide of my fellow Jedi. A dangerous mission was a welcome distraction to my mental hell.

* * *

The _Ultimate_ sat in front of us, the now familiar angular black Sith vessel was perched on its landing gears, looking as if it could attack at any moment. A mechanical bird of prey, as if at any moment it could be screeching through the sky and picking of its unsuspecting foe, and it certainly could be. Phanza stood next to me, still wearing her robe from earlier, the Nautolan had her arms crossed and was simply leaning against the hangar wall and looking at me. Phanza and I were waiting for Ceyla and Yevenna to arrive, the Mandalorian entourage would not only provide additional security should something go wrong on Cipher-9, but they would also help confuse the spies. From what Phanza told me, the Intelligentsia were good, but they weren't so good as to have access to Castle Attam. They had to work to figure out who Phanza's closest allies were, because she would show up with a different crowd each time. It sounded like Phanza arrived with different numbers of guests as well, further keeping the Intelligentsia on their toes. The woman was very careful to obfuscate any information on her and leaving the spies of Cipher-9 guessing. This skill, I suspect, was very rare, yet another example of how truly impressive Phanza is.

"Ceyla has been an excellent ally of mine. She is a warrior through and through, the coming together of both Mandalorian and Echani culture, and that mixing of warrior traditions has produced a woman that can single-handedly destroy armies. At range, she's lethal with blasters and her jetpack, closer up, she has lightning reflexes that keep her faster than any opponent while still wrapped in that protective layer of beskar steel. Ceyla Ordo does a lot for me and I am grateful for all of it. I trust her and I think you should do." Phanza explained, her tone indicating two things. One: it showed that Lady Attam really did put a ton of faith into her Mandalorian companion, which was unexpected considering this was a Sith talking about an ally who wasn't even Force-sensitive. Two: this indicated that Phanza truly was concerned about this mission. We were dealing with the greatest spies in Taaszon, spies who treasured compromising information like nothing else, and, to get out of that situation the best way possible, we needed to trust each other and have faith in each other. Any division, any mistake, and any carelessness will instantly be caught by the Intelligentsia and I am certain that they will play it to their advantage.

"If you trust her, I'm going to trust her. I already know Yevenna by the way, I trust her too." I shot Phanza a smile, adding the information that we could trust the Mirialan Mandalorian as well. We were dealing with sensitive information here, mutual trust was essential. Speaking of sensitive information, I looked down on my robes. I was dressed in black and purple robes which covered my entire body - significantly more modest than Phanza's outfit - the dark hood hanging over my red-skinned face. The double-bladed lightsaber on my hip only contributed more to the image: the fact that I'm really a Jedi shall remain a secret, I can pass, quite convincingly, as Phanza's new Sith apprentice, so that will very likely be our cover stuff. Openly traveling as a Jedi would render the truth about me worthless, as the Intelligentsia would already know that. This cover was the best way to buy our information on Cipher-9, even if the whole idea hit a little too close to home. It shouldn't be possible that I would ever become Phanza's apprentice, but I can't pretend that it's impossible.

There are parts of Sith life I intensely disagree with. I don't think that raw strength and power with the Force is nearly as important as the Sith believe it is, it doesn't matter how strong or weak a Force user is - to take it further, it doesn't even matter if someone is a Force user or not - we all matter and we're all equally important. Everyone, no matter how insignificant, has the potential to do great or terrible things, no one should be rejected simply because they don't meet some arbitrary strength in the Force standard set at Taaszon's Sith Academy. I also have to admit that Phanza's more tolerable interpretation of the Sith Code is also a very liberal interpretation of the Sith Code. The good parts of Taaszon also receive somewhat of a asterisk given that all their good was a product of a small number of Sith who escaped the collapse of their old empire trying to survive and rebuild.

"Good. Both the fact you found a friend here and the fact we can trust her." Phanza replied, a gentle smile on her face. This side of Phanza, the side that cared, the side that showcased how much of a brilliant woman she was, and the side that was a nice and compassionate person despite being a Sith, was wonderful. Phanza Attam could be a vicious woman, ripping Jedi philosophy apart, deconstructing people's entire lifestyles, and more than capable of giving a verbal thrashing, but that wasn't the entire side of her. It was interesting to describe her, it would almost be easier to say that she seemed bipolar, like she had her Sith personality and her friendly personality, but that wasn't the case, Phanza was always Phanza. Her most brutal actions, threats and lightning, were just as much of her as the pleasant and open person who was housing and comforting me through this dark new era in the galaxy.

"Here they are," I said as the two Mandalorians entered, both of them holding their helmets under their arm. The same arm for both of them, and they walked in perfect lock-step, Yevenna walking back straight and trying to do her best to appear professional, ready, and capable in front of Ceyla and Phanza. It was an interesting choice to bring the highly talkative Mirialan to a spy planet, but, I suspected that this was intentional - Ceyla was a Mandalorian, and that was definitely a culture that learned under pressure - the idea was that if Yevenna didn't learn self-control here, she wasn't going to learn it ever. I hoped that things would go well for Yevenna, I wanted her to succeed and I wanted her to realize her dreams as a Mandalorian. One more thing that I noticed about Yevenna and Ceyla Ordo was how heavily armed they were, showing how dangerous this mission could be. Yevenna had two blaster pistols at her hip, a blaster rifle against her jetpack, various weapons and gadgets controlled by her twin wrist gauntlets, and a short vibroknife on her belt as well. Ceyla was even more heavily armored, having her own twin blasters, wrist weapons, and gadgets, as well as a number of grenades on her belt, a heavy blaster pistol on her thigh holster, a long vibroblade on the side of one boot, and a pair of electrified batons on her other boot. The both of them also had their missiles on the top of the jetpack. The two Mandalorians were packing quite an arsenal, and all I could do was hope that they didn't have to use it on Cipher-9.

"My Lord, this is Yevenna Aphlen, a Mandalorian student under me." Ceyla bowed before her traveling companion and formally introduced Yevenna to us. The Echani Mandalorian had her silver-white hair short and professional looking, her matching eyes had an intense, serious, and prepared quality to them, suggesting that Ceyla fully understood the gravity of the situation and she was ready to face the trials of Cipher-9, to face the spies and pay the price of information. Yevenna was reserved and ready for action too, bowing before Phanza when cued and knowing that this was the side to prove herself. Yevenna could be clumsy and she may definitely talk way too much for her profession, but if she could separate her bubbly personality from her working persona, Yevenna could still be a very successful and very dangerous Mandalorian warrior on her own right.

"Very good. Zaliza Vyvan here is playing the part of my Sith apprentice. That's the cover story if anyone tasks, understood?" Phanza asked, making it clear that we had to present a unified front should we be separated and grilled by the Intelligentsia, which was perhaps possible. I didn't know to what lengths the Intelligentsia were going to go to for the sake of retrieving information. Me being Phanza's Sith apprentice was just one of the ground rules we were going to set on the way to Cipher-9, being careful was crucial to all this. In any case, the Mandalorians and I nodded "Good? Good, lets go."

* * *

I wasn't sure what I was expecting for the spy world to be, but Cipher-9 seemed to fit the bill exactly. The planet seemed to be perpetually dark, with raging storms and a sea that was just as active and tumultuous. I was almost thinking that Cipher-9 was an ocean planet similar to Kamino, however, soon enough, we came upon a cliff face, and, perched on top of that cliff face, sat a towering city. Tall walls surrounded a monolith - not nearly as tall as the Citadel, but the whole complex was definitely larger that Castle Attam - and a single large landing pad extended out from the walled compound. It was a big place, but, as far as I could tell, that this was the only structure on the whole planet, with the rest of this continent or island or whatever this cliff face was a part of being dark and deserted. I was expecting more from Cipher-9. Of course, as soon as I had that thought, I instantly proved myself wrong.

Two search lights picked up the _Ultimate_ flying in, a pair of cannons at the top of the compound walls trained on us. The implication was clear, the cannons were going to open fire on us if we didn't pass their test. The next hidden security measure, a scanner hidden underneath the landing pad, did its work, the red light of the scanner coming over our ship, making sure that everything was okay. I held a breath in the beat after the scan passed, because the turrets were still trained on us, but, fortunately, the treat passed and the guns returned to their alert position. I thought that was going to be the end the transformation here, but then, the cliff face itself began sinking into the sea. I watched as the whole landmass was revealed to be a massive base, a row of windows halfway down making me question just how big this base truly was. The Intelligentsia of Cipher-9 went from looking underwhelming to now seeming larger than life. The cliff face finally disappeared completely below the waves, revealing that the monolith and the compound was just the top of a very wide, almost pyramid shape angular, sleek compound. It was both a hidden spy base and a testament to how much strength and resources the Intelligentsia had.

The _Ultimate_ came in for a landing. Rain battered down on the ship as the ramp lowered down and the four of us came down it. Phanza first, the Nautolan wore her hood up, but I didn't think that she needed it - the raindrops soaking on her head-tails must have had the Nautolan feel at home, her aquatic species was more than comfortable in the water - I watched her take a deep breath and enjoy the sea air as I joined her, standing at her side. I wore my hood up to protect against the elements and it almost shocked me how easily I settled into the role of Phanza's Sith apprentice. I stood next to her, but just half a step behind her. I keep my eyes down, but at attention - I didn't want anyone to focus in on me, but I wanted to focus on everyone else - then Ceyla and Yevenna followed. The rain drops pattering against their metal armor in a gentle hum as we walked in formation towards the entrance to the monolith, crossing the walkway at the end of the landing pad. A few months ago, before meeting Phanza and Order 66, I probably would have thought this was a chilling and evil entourage, yet now, here I was at the center of it. My species made me a Sith, my disguise made me a Sith, and the people around me were Sith, I could tell myself that I disagreed with the philosophy all I want, the fact is, what is marking me a Jedi at this point? I didn't know, but I was brought out of my mind as the monolith door all of a sudden opened, a man walking out.

At first glance, the man was simply a bald human male in a black longcoat, but that was far from the truth. The pale man had a set of cybernetics over his face, two rectangular black lenses over his eyes, perhaps replacing his eyes, and these lenses were attached to cybernetic frames which sunk back into his face, heading back up into his brain, down his jaw, and back into his neck. The man was dressed in all black, the leather longcoat over a black stealth suit, boots, and a tactical belt. I saw a blaster pistol on his hip as he pulled his coat back, I began anticipating a threat. The pistol wasn't his intention though, it remained safely in his holster, but four spherical droids flew out from under his coat, flying around the area. My eyes rapidly tracked them as one of them flew around us on the right, another on the left, a third flew through our group, making observations, and the fourth swung around the ship, no doubt checking if we had something to hide. I wouldn't be at all shocked if that particularly probe did infrared and x-ray scans in an attempt to see if we had anything still in the ship, and I also wouldn't be at all shocked if all the information from all four of the probes was being streamed directly to this man's lenses. This was just one man but I was already beginning to understand why Phanza was so paranoid about the Intelligentsia. One man had all of this equipment, and there was a whole island-sized compound of them below us.

"Operator Rahlkann," Phanza gave a tense greeting as the man and our group met in the middle of the walkway, the rain still coming down, but all of us were far more concerned about a potential storm right here, right now. The encounter only grew more tense as Rahlkann pulled his coat back yet again, revealing his blaster. At the same time, with the smallest of movements, Phanza used the Force to pull her lightsaber back into her hand. Tensions grew as the little probe droids returned to Operator Rahlkann, the first three probes coming back into his belt. A gust of wind blew the back of his coat up as the fourth probe circled out from behind him - odd, I hadn't seen it flying in on the right, but I guess it is dark, stormy, and windy. All of a sudden, Rahlkann drew his blaster and fired at Phanza, but the Nautolan caught the laser bolt with her red and black lightsaber. At the same time, another probe droid somehow appeared behind Lady Attam and fired a laser at her, but the Sith Lord stopped the laser bolt with the Force for long enough to bring her lightsaber back around and catch it with her lightsaber. Phanza had an incredibly grasp of the Force and of her surroundings to be able to manage all this while wearing a hood. All the while, Rahlkann laughed and put his blaster away.

"You're good Phanza, you really are. Welcome to Cipher-9!" the cyborg man finally spoke, greeting us. That whole tense reaction had only been a game, Rahlkann trying to get the best of Lady Attam, yet failing yet again. Rahlkann turned around and made his way back inside as the final probe tried flew back into its place, leaving me to wonder where this fifth droid came from. In any case, Phanza, Ceyla, Yevenna, and I followed the Operator inside. We were about the enter the massive island-sized base of the Intelligentsia, so big they were able to disguise it as a geographic cliff face.

" _What was that about?_ " I asked Phanza through our mental link, wondering about that whole tense shoot-out stunt.

" _Operator Rahlkann is more than just a spy. He is part ambassador, part field operative, and part assassin. He once boasted to me that he could kill a Sith if he wanted to, I have been proving him wrong ever since. I knew what he was trying to do this time. The third probe droid is what kicked up his overcoat, then it came back around to make it look as if four probes docked back on his belt, in reality, the fourth was lining up a shot at me. It was just a matter of catching the laser bolts and he would be bested yet again._ " Phanza explained, going into detail as to how she knew what Rahlkann was up to and what this whole game was about. So this just meant that Operator Rahlkann was particularly dangerous and he has been trying to prove that to Phanza for a long time, with Lady Attam remaining just one step ahead of him. This was yet another example of Phanza needlessly putting herself into risks and I didn't like that, but I was grateful that she won. I also get the impression that the Operator's blaster was set up to be nonlethal, or, at least, I hope so. In any case, all five of us piled into an elevator. Rahlkann turned to Phanza before choosing a floor, presumably meaning that different kinds of information are stored on different levels.

"What are you here for Phanza? I doubt it's something simple like a little blackmail material." Rahlkann asked, his question seemingly confirming my suspicions, suggesting that blackmail material would be a lot easier and cheaper to come by than something like industrial espionage or military intelligence, and, unfortunately for us, we're looking for the latter, on the Empire no less. We were probably asking for some of the most sensitive, exclusive, and expensive information that the Intelligentsia had in their possession, meaning we would have to trade them quite a bit of information in return.

"I need information on the Empire. Weak points, military movements, identifies on important figures, anything that can give us an edge." Phanza answered, soliciting a heavy sigh from Operator Rahlkann. This information was indeed hard to get.

"That, my friend, is very tight information." Rahlkann answered before selecting one of the lowest and most secure levels - should this planet ever be invaded, the most secure information was furthest underground, furthest from the reach of potential invaders - and, since we were going down rather than up, the elevator required a scan of Rahlkann's fingerprints. The base had multiple layers of security - the monolith was guarded by the cannons, the base was concealed by the false cliff face, and access to the base was restricted with a biometric scan - only adding more proof that the Intelligentsia was a very serious and very capable faction. The elevator started moving as Rahlkann turned back to Phanza "Perhaps before we get into the main exchange, I can tell you what we know about the Imperials and their counter-espionage efforts in exchange for what you know."

"Very well," Phanza accepted after a beat, knowing that it was a gamble as to whether or not the Intelligentsia knew more than we did "My apprentice, Zaliza, and I encountered Darth Vader himself on Nar Shaddaa. He is in charge of a group of Force-sensitives - all former Jedi as far as we can tell - operatives called the Inquisitors. They are the ones who hunt down my spies on Coruscant and I suspect they must have caught some of yours as well." Phanza revealed, saying most of what we knew, but I noticed two interesting omissions. The first was that Phanza didn't mention why exactly we were on Nar Shaddaa, the fact we were in disguises, or how we escaped Vader and the Third Sister. The second omission was that Phanza didn't share that the Inquisitors were supposed to be hunting surviving Jedi. I suppose that Phanza only shared what she thought was directly relevant to the Inquisitors and the Grand Duchy's disappearing spies.

"Our man in the Galactic Senate was compromised as well. The bugs we had him place are still transmitting, but we don't know for how much longer. That being said, we don't think our spies are necessarily the main target, we believe that these Inquisitors are hunting for threats to the Empire. I don't have any confirmation for this, but I think they're trying to find surviving Jedi and their supporters." Rahlkann revealed. For someone without the Force and no understanding of it, he did manage to figure out pretty much exactly what was going on. The fact that the Jedi seemed to be a priority target over the Grand Duchy was a good sign - well, not for me I suppose, but the Empire doesn't know I'm hiding in Taaszon - only Thonna knows and, despite being the Third Sister, I don't think she revealed me. I think Thonna allowed us to escape so she didn't have to confirm anything to her superiors.

The elevator arrived down at the bottom level and Operator Rahlkann lead us out to a central holoterminal. I watched as the human cyborg pulled up an image of three Venator-class Star Destroyers.

"Three Imperial capital ships, the _Constitution_ , the _Benevolence_ , and the _Geonosian_ were given new training and combat regiments. These combat regiments seem to be well placed to counter the tactics used by our Grand Ducal and Chiss forces during the Battle of Imperius Prime. We believe that these ships are due to be part of an attack group the Empire is developing to target our outlying systems." Rahlkann explained, and I suddenly felt guilty about the information Ullara and I gave to the Jedi Council after the battle. I couldn't have possibly predicted how my life would've changed since then, with me ending up on Taaszon against an evil Empire, but here we are. In any case, the Operator changed the image to a Republic, now Imperial, space station "These ships, however, were just rerouted to bring down separatist holdouts over the planet of Loukhamii."

"So...not only can we destroy three ships from the attack group against us, we can go it in a context where it looks like this Loukhamii resistance was responsible." Phanza realized, the Nautolan quickly realizing that this was, indeed, a good plan. We finally had a way of hitting the Empire without being the most obvious culprit, and that good potentially make the difference in the inevitable struggle. Of course, this was a Sith plan, and that meant there were some problems with it. For one: we would have to make sure there were no survivors on the space station or the three ships, after all, the whole point was to avoid being seen as responsible for this, after all, this was the price of fighting an asymmetrical war. The second issue was that, if we did succeed, the Empire would very likely carry out reprisals against this Loukhamii resistance, who, despite being former separatists, would be innocent in this case.

"If we manage to attack while the three ships are docked, all we really need to do is get to the reactor, set it to blow, and escape." Ceyla determined, the Mandalorian coming up with a battle plan, we had a way to make this work.

"Yes, yes, very good.' Operator Rahlkann began "Of course, any one of you could return to Taaszon with the mission details, and this is some very sensitive, very important information here. The Empire is involved, it is a major terrorist strike, and it is still possible that this could lead back to the Grand Duchy and, by extension, us. Therefore...I need a piece of intelligence from each of you. Valuable secrets and information that will pay the price of each of you knowing about these Star destroyers and the space station."

The four of us tensed up as the door leading to the elevator slammed shut and Rahlkann released his probe droids. A number of other Intelligentsia operatives gathered elsewhere in the room. The message was clear: all four of us were telling them something, or we were going to die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm becoming habitual with these cliffhangers, I know, but this was a fitting ending.


	17. The Price of Subterfuge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, I'm here to alleviate the cliffhanger of two weeks ago. We're now over 100,000 words into this story on both FFN and AO3, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter as well.

Act II.

The Heart of Darkness.

Chapter XVII.

The Price of Subterfuge.

* * *

The four of us stood there for a moment, sizing up Operator Rahlkann and the other Intelligentsia members that just entered the room. Rahlkann gave us information on the Empire, now we had to pay him and his organization back, I understood that part. I, however, didn't understand the extent of this - the threatening arrival of his goons and the insistence on each of us giving a piece of information - it was highly unfair. The idea that any one of us was sufficient for returning this information to Taaszon was absurd, we obviously intended to return to the capital world with all four of us alive and well, but...judging by the blaster pistols and rifles in this room, there wasn't exactly room for negotiation. I did, however, know I had a valuable piece of information, so I stepped up first. I had to hope that the fact that I was a Jedi would be worth something to the Intelligentsia, ideally, worth enough for all four of us to get out of here unscathed. They had to be able to do something with that information, whether its an insight into Phanza and her power base, confirmation that there are Jedi survivors to Order 66, or simply as just potential blackmail material against me should our paths cross again. They specialize in intelligence, they can figure something out.

"I'm not really Phanza's apprentice. My name is Zaliza Vyvan and I am a surrounding Padawan of the Jedi Order." I declared, thinking that the remark would have more of an impact than it did, though, perhaps that is not entirely true. I think it is possible that my reveal did have an impact, but, considering that Rahlkann was a master spy and wore cybernetics over his eyes to show that, he wasn't exactly going to reveal anything with an expression. I would imagine that high level Sith spying and espionage requires a rather significant Sabaac face. In any case, I instinctively backed up into the line with Phanza and the rest of our companions, waiting to hear what the Operator's reaction was going to be.

"Well..." Rahlkann began slowly, no doubt this was a deliberate effort with no purpose other than to raise suspense and keep us terrified for our lives. I wasn't sure if that was necessarily a smart thing to do in the presence of a Sith Lord, but Phanza has proven herself to be merciful and restrained in tough scenarios, this is no exception, though I'm sure the importance of the Intelligentsia plays into that. Phanza said it herself, she doesn't want to be the one to ruin centuries of cooperation between Taaszon and their semi-autonomous network of spies. So perhaps this was a different kind of mercy and restraint. Nar Shaddaa was yet a different kind, with Phanza knowing that she wasn't prepared to fight Vader, an Inquisitor, and their whole force of stormtroopers, but, she could, instead, outsmart them for just long enough to escape them. Of course, the fact that Thonna let us go was fortunate as well, but even then, Phanza's plan had gotten us so far that there was only an Inquisitor between us and our ship, with Phanza keeping her lightsaber no less.

"On with it," Phanza urged Rahlkann, making the cyborg cease his theatrics, after all, we still, potentially, had three people's worth of secrets to go through. I was a bit worried about Yevenna, yes, she demonstrated that she could be serious and quiet under pressure, but she is also talkative by nature, I didn't want to see her accidentally reveal anything, and I saw how paranoid Phanza was all about this, even back on Taaszon, and I'm sure that Ceyla has her reservations as well. I had to, therefore, hope that my own secret was enough for all of us, but I had to admit that I doubted Rahlkann would accept that. Even if the information truly was just as valuable, if not more so, to what he gave us on the Empire, he had the opportunity to get information out of Lady Attam herself, and he was going to take it. I could already guess that Phanza has been historically tight-lipped to him, and Rahlkann wanted to change that.

"The truth of your identity, Ms. Vyvan, is indeed a valuable bit of information. Both about yourself, about what Lady Attam is up to, and for what it says about potential survivors of Order 66. You are free to go. The others, however, are not." true to my predictions, even though this information does impact Phanza - which Operator Rahlkann admitted himself - he still wants information from her directly. I was free to go, but I still stayed right here, waiting for my friends to wish, and hoping that nothing was going to happen to Ceyla, Yevenna, or Phanza. I wasn't exactly comfortable here, surrounded by armed spies and their soldiers, but I was even less comfortable with the idea of leaving my friends to deal with this themselves. Phanza was the only reason why I managed to escape Ypherro, she's the only reason that Ullara's sacrifice can mean anything, I was forever going to be grateful for that and everything that she's done for me since. Yevenna, meanwhile, is someone who I can really talk to and trust on Taaszon, and I'm grateful for her friendship. Ceyla, then, is important to me as a friend and ally of both Phanza and Yevenna. I wasn't going to let anything happen to these three if I can prevent it, not after what happened to Master Avdune.

"Three Mandalorian warriors from our enclave recently went on a raid into Hutt territory. They managed to uncover a secret deal between Sokkuta the Hutt and the Bounty Hunters Guild to remove him from the Black Sun Syndicate." Ceyla spoke next, revealing some information that was valuable, yet didn't say anything about Phanza or her operations. Instead, she revealed some news about the Black Sun Syndicate potentially beginning to crumble after the events on Mandalore, with Sokkuta, a minor Hutt warlord, trying to escape. Sokkuta's success or failure could determine the future of the Black Sun Syndicate, especially since Darth Maul hasn't resurfaced yet. Perhaps he is still paranoid over Order 66, given that he was apparently in Republic custody when the order was issued. A Sith as dangerous and unpredictable as Maul on the loose was dangerous, but, right now, it was the Empire's problem.

"Interesting, I shall be sending agents to both Sokkuta's camp and the Black Sun then." Rahlkann revealed, the Operator - presumably the rank indicated that he had some level of control over the Intelligentsia, perhaps conducting the operatives beneath him - indicated he wanted to play both sides of that potential squabble. I couldn't see any honor or justice in that, but the spy business isn't about honor or justice I suppose, it never was. Rahlkann and the Intelligentsia were interested about learning more and having leverage over more of the galaxy, they were, presumably, also interested in furthering Taaszon's interests. Perhaps, I should say, they were interested in furthering what they perceived as in Taaszon's interests, but the point remains. This means that, rather than sending spies out for ideological or political reasons, Rahlkann is sending them out to maximize his own position relative to anyone and everyone else, both friend and foe. I suppose the saying in his world goes, friend or foe, you never knew who will be which at any given time. In any case, Yevenna stepped up to speak next.

"It was a few months ago when I was fighting the separatists on New Ziost with some other Mandalorians. We came across and defeated a group of new commando droids. These were updated models with more armor, more speed, and a deadly set of gadgets to go with the typical stealth and the blades. We managed to find the blueprints of these droids with the prototypes and the locations of the factories. It may be worth it to look into what the Empire is now going with those factories." Yevenna's bit of intelligence was wordy, but, again, she managed to avoid revealing anything about Phanza and her power base directly. Instead, she had this story about the droids and handed over a datastick with the information on it - perhaps Ceyla and Yevenna had prepared for this before the fact - and Rahlkann did accept it. Curiously, he slipped it up the sleeve of his overcoat then seemed to focus on his lenses for awhile - did his cybernetics include a data drive in his wrist? It seemed ridiculous, but, considering what we've seen of the Intelligentsia so far, it wouldn't be the most shocking thing in the world.

"Not the most up to date information, I admit, but I suppose it will do. I didn't expect much more from a Mandalorian in training." Operator Rahlkann sighed, disparaging Yevenna Aphlen for no reason as he accepted the information. I could see now why Lady Attam was no fan of the Intelligentsia now. Speaking of Phanza, she now became the object of everyone's attention: Rahlkann finally wanted to gain information on her and the rest of us wanted to know how Phanza was going to try and wiggle her way out of this one. I was somewhat disappointed, I revealed something so important to me, but it really had no effect - I couldn't help but think my information would be more valuable if I was more careful about hiding who I was, perhaps the Intelligentsia already knew about me, or at least had suspicions - Ceyla and Yevenna managed to get away with giving relatively minor information, but Rahlkann wasn't looking for their information anyway. This was always about getting something out of Phanza, interrogating the rest of us four was just a bonus for the Intelligentsia. The Human Cyborg smirked as he finally spoke "Well, well Lady Attam, the moment of truth. I gave you what you wanted on the Empire, all of your friends paid their price, now it's time for you to pay yours."

"How is this for information? From what I can tell, two of the five operatives you have behind you are deceiving you. They aren't loyal to the Intelligentsia, they're counterespionage agents from the Chiss. They answer to Admiral Wurra'thuundo'oma and have been ever since they got into the Intelligentsia. Let me and my friends out of here, and I will reveal which two I'm speaking of." Phanza smirked in return, revealing her own gambit. I noticed she had been quiet during all of this, even in the Force, but I suppose that is because she was prodding Rahlkann and his men, trying to find a weakness, trying to find an opening, anything to avoid having to actually give information about herself. It was a bold move, and it was also a somewhat shocking remainder that Phanza was a Sith Lord and she was going to do what Sith Lords did. That included violating people's mental state and privacy if it suited her needs, that included putting other people's lives at risk, and that included this deception and underhandedness. Rahlkann looked at me for a moment, perhaps hoping that, as a Jedi, I would do something, and perhaps I should have, but I didn't. I stood there and let Phanza make her threats, thinking that this was for the greater good.

"No deal." Operator Rahlkann repealed and pulled a device of some sort from his coat. My eyes widened as it took just a few button presses before all five of the men in question were electrocuted and killed, their corpses unceremoniously falling to the ground. All five of them were instantly executed on mere suspicion that just two of them were traitors, and, as if that wasn't bad enough, before they even hit the ground, Rahlkann pressed another few buttons. I watched, appalled, as five more men entered the room, taking the places of the dead - in some cases, literally stepping over the bodies of the dead - in yet another harsh reminder of the fact that I was dealing with Sith. Rahlkann, letting the moment sink in, soon spoke again "You know what I am capable of, Lady Attam, and you know what information I want. The location and the access codes of the ancient Sith cybernetic factory on Manaan, now."

"Underwater, northwest quadrant. There is a coral reef growing over the facility right now, but the place itself is waterproof. Your exact location and the access codes are on this datastick. Satisfied?" Phanza's voice sunk an octave as, without a physical movement, she used the Force to levitate a datastick off her belt over to Operator Rahlkann. It was just as much of a show of force as Rahlkann executing the five men. Rahlkann could and would kill his own men with just the press of a few buttons if necessary, but Phanza had the Force, and she could kill him without the Cyborg even being able to see it coming. No amount of information of intelligence could compete with the Force, and, even though Rahlkann now had this cybernetic facility which he apparently wanted, he would never have the Force. It was a chilling reminder of Phanza's power and her willingness to use it all, Light or Dark.

"Six years I have waited for this day. Pleasure doing business with you, Lady Attam. You and your companions are free to go." Operator Rahlkann spoke, then having the arrogance to turn around and walk away. I wasn't even part of this life or this civilization, but even I knew you couldn't turn your back on a Sith Lord, not like that. I took a deep breath, just waiting for the moment that Phanza snapped and killed Operator Rahlkann, and I wouldn't have even really blamed her for doing it. Operator Rahlkann was clearly not a good man, willing to kill five men just because of his stubbornness over this information. This particular piece of information too - all of this, because Phanza knew about an ancient laboratory that Rahlkann wanted access to, for even more cybernetics no less - it all seemed so worthless and so morbid over nothing. To her credit, Phanza simply released an exhale, turned around, and walked back to the elevator, the four of us following right behind her. We rode the elevator up and walked back on board the _Ultimate_ , simple as that. Not a word was uttered until we were onboard the ship.

* * *

"Ceyla, set a course for Taaszon. I'm going to my room." was the first thing out of Phanza's voice when we boarded the ship, the Nautolan not even turning around as she spoke, her sentence came out short and clipped. Phanza was struggling to stay composed and she did as much as she could to keep up the regal and confident image before storming off to her room. The Mandalorians took their helmets off and went to the cockpit while I stood there for a moment, conflicted. I heard the engines fire up, the sound drawing out the uneven patter of water dripping off of my robes, and I felt the ship leave the landing pad and the Intelligentsia base behind, soon to leave Cipher-9 altogether, but I stayed standing right where I was. I wanted to speak with Phanza, to make sure she was okay, but I wasn't sure if this was the right time. She seemed so upset, and part of me wanted to just give her space, but another part of me knew that wasn't the right thing to do. I knew better than most people what it's like to be trapped with your own negative thoughts and feelings -and even though I'm nowhere near solving my own issues - I wanted to help Phanza right now. I took a deep breath, mentally confirmed my decision, and headed off to her room, best intentions in mind.

I felt Phanza's mood before I saw her. The rage was heavy in the air, as if particles of the natural Force itself, floating in the air, were being dragged to her, dragged to this source of raw power and anger right here. I stopped in the doorway, seeing Phanza standing in the middle of her room, hands balled up into fists, breathing heavy, and her power concentrating even thicker this close, getting to the point where it was starting to be reminiscent of Grand Duchess Voytana and her throne room. The Force itself was gravitating around her, waiting for Phanza to release it, waiting for the outburst. For the first time, perhaps ever, I was truly frightened of the Nautolan, not because I thought she would do anything to me, but because of the idea of what she could do. I heard her inhale sharply, the bestial noise of a predator far larger than her, and I saw her turn her head. Her large black eyes were narrowed, their obsidian surface filled with the glassy reflection of a thousand silent screams of the unknown victims of the Dark Side, these were the eyes of a full-fledged Sith Lord.

This was the side of Phanza that Master Avdune had warned me about, the side the Jedi were always expecting to come out, and I thought my whole new world view was shattering. I thought that everything I believed about Lady Attam, about how she was really a good presence, more of a middle-ground purple than the Dark Side red I had been warned about, was wrong. I was terrified that she truly was a Sith Lord, that this was all a manipulation to turn me into her apprentice, and that all it took to make Phanza drop her facade was Operator Rahlkann getting one over her, but then, Phanza's eyes softened, the chokehold on power released, and I released a breath that I didn't even realize I was holding. Phanza was capable of being the apex predator, she was capable of great disasters and destruction, but that wasn't her, in reality, she was a strong and ambitious woman, with real emotions and pain. Rahlkann grilling her for information, this whole trip to Cipher-9 really, it hurt her. This experience bit into Phanza's pride, it upset the pedestal she built for herself, and that hurt her. This wasn't horror, this was humanity.

"The facility on Manaan is an ancient underwater laboratory. The Sith Empire was using this facility to experiment with Kolto-injecting, reflex-enhancing cybernetics. The idea was to heal wounds and inject steroids to soldiers during the battle, always keeping them at peak efficiency and preventing casualties due to wounds or exhaustion. Of course, the Sith Empire collapsed before the research there was complete, but my spies uncovered the facility a few years ago. Operator Rahlkann, of course, found out about this, and he's wanted to know the location of that facility ever since. I wanted to use the research to help Taaszon, to potentially reach the breakthrough our predecessors were looking for and unlock the secret to an army of super-soldiers, but my time and resources have been distracted elsewhere. Right now, I can only spare enough to maintain the research we have, no expansions, no breakthroughs right now. Rahlkann, however, has no interest in the project or in improving our troops. Rahlkann just wants the facility and the research for himself, adding to his own list of cybernetics." Phanza explained, giving me the whole story.

I couldn't help but feel sympathy for her. The cybernetics on the soldiers seemed immoral, but, considering I spent most of my last few years as a Jedi fighting alongside artificially grown child soldiers, I can't really judge that, and, under present circumstances, I could definitely see why Phanza would want to revive such a progress. Instead though, the information on this facility was given to Rahlkann, who would no doubt raid the facility for himself, modifying his own body at the expense of everyone else. I didn't know how to feel, I knew that Phanza's anger was justified, to an extent anyway, and I knew that Operator Rahlkann was absolutely the villain in this situation, but that didn't change the fact that Phanza's anger really did terrify me there. She is composed, pleasant even in her normal persona, but she is absolutely capable of great darkness and bloodshed, and this was a harsh reality check for me. I didn't want to forgive this, I didn't want to start finding situations where Sith behavior was acceptable, but I also didn't want to make Phanza feel wrong or isolated right now, not after she helped me so much. It was a difficult situation, but...I guess the Jedi thing to do would be to be forgiving and nonjudgmental, to take the moral high ground. The high ground was always important to the Jedi, I remember Master Kenobi emphasizing that while assisting Master Yoda on a lesson.

"I know this was unfortunate Phanza, I know, but we have to stay focused. We have the information we need now, three Imperial star destroyers, with combat data seemingly based on Taaszon. We absolutely need to do something about these ships and this is the best opportunity we're gonna get." I tried to remind Phanza of our mission, letting her know that she didn't trade away that information for nothing. We had a group of ships, very possibly ships that are going to attack the Grand Duchy of Taaszon, and we have an opportunity to attack them without being the most obvious culprits. An opportunity like this is not going to come up again, so we're going to need to seize it. I wasn't crazy about this mission, we would be killing a lot of clones, including noncombatants, and we were going to, very likely, cause reprisals against the innocent - in this case anyway - separatist holdouts, but that isn't what Phanza needs to hear right now. There is also the fact that telling Rahlkann where the laboratory is doesn't guarantee anything. Phanza could still have the location secured, locked down, or perhaps even gutted before the Intelligentsia member even has the chance to get to Manaan. This situation isn't over yet, no need to despair.

"Right, right, of course. We're going to Taaszon to pick up some supplies and a cloaking device, then we're going to head to the space station over Loukhamii." Phanza announced, regaining her composure and her focus. I could tell that she was still stressed out over Rahlkann, both from her facial expression and because of what I felt through our bond, but she wasn't going to let it interfere with our mission. I took a long look at the Nautolan, making sure she was okay, but the red-skinned Nautolan Sith Lord had sunk fully into her mission, ignoring her own feelings and trying to keep Operator Rahlkann out of her mind. I accepted that this was going to be the best I get out of Phanza and I slipped out of the room, heading to my quarters instead. We would return to Taaszon, make our final preparations for the mission, then head out to face the Empire for the first time. A cloaking device was a wise decision, both because it would actually allow us to slip past the Imperial defenses, and because it would conceal the fact that the _Ultimate_ is obviously not a separatist design. Phanza, even in her distress, was able to avoid mistakes in such a mission, and that have me some confidence. This could actually work.

* * *

"Separatist explosives. We confiscated these from the supplies left over from the Battle of Imperius Prime. We don't intend to leave much of the space station or the star destroyers behind, but, if the Empire does manage an investigation, we want to be extra careful." Phanza explained as some of her soldiers wheeled a crate of separatist charges into the hangar. These were relatively standard bombs, nothing created specifically for the invasion of Taaszon. We weren't sure what the Loukhamii resistance was armed with, but it was more than conceivable that any separatist resistance could be equipped with this kind of weaponry. Phanza really had thought of everything, to the point that she handed me the pair of custom blaster pistols I had on Nar Shaddaa - using lightsaber would leave behind the tell tale scorch marks behind - though we weren't going so far as to wear disguises. First of all, we didn't want to dress like our Nar Shaddaa disguises as the Empire has seen them, second of all, we don't intend to leave any evidence of our identity behind. So long as all the physical evidence points to a separatist attack and no one is around to say otherwise, it doesn't matter what we wear on such a mission.

"Lady Attam and I are going to place explosives on the space station itself. We want you two to go out and arm explosives on the reactors of the star destroyers. This way, we have to place more bombs while you two need to cover more distance." Ceyla explained, giving out the different jobs for her and Phanza, and then Yevenna and I. It was an understandable compromise, and, in truth, Phanza and Ceyla would have to cover some significant ground as well. They would need to place bombs on the superstructure of the space station, on the reactor, the back-up generators, and the security room, in order to destroy any evidence of our presence. All we really needed to do was to hit the three reactors in the engine rooms of the three ships, all of which would be configured identically. I wasn't sure where exactly the _Constitution_ , the _Benevolence_ , and the _Geonosian_ had served during the Clone Wars - though I could predict that the latter either served at Geonosis or was named after the battle - though I had plenty of experience onboard the Venator-class ships, particularly the _Sage_.

"Understood Ceyla, I won't let you down, I promise!" Yevenna enthusiastically agreed, I smiled. The Mirialan definitely answered with a few more words than were strictly necessary and she was a bit too excitable for her role, but she was my friend and I was going to be fighting alongside her. I did think that her personality clashed with the stereotypical image of the Mandalorian, but that didn't mean that I disliked it, actually, I found her pleasant and refreshing to be around. After everything I had experienced lately, all the loss, the war, and the grim nature of the galaxy, it was nice to see someone who was legitimately a happy person, by nature no less. I also thought it made her more of an individual. I don't think I'd like a typical Mandalorian this much.

"Good, lets go." Phanza gave the command and we all boarded the _Ultimate_ once again. I took a seat in the cockpit next to Yevenna, Ceyla in the pilot's seat and Phanza next to her, the separated by the navicompter and the receptacle for the wayfinder. I took a deep breath as I realized I was going to see clones again, thousands of identical faces of my former friends and comrades, just under those all too familiar helmets. I was going to have to shoot many of them dead, after all, Phanza was clear that no witnesses was crucial to this operation. Not only did I have to do that, but I needed to kill them quickly. Ideally, all the clones would die before they could send any outside report, if that didn't work, then the plan was to get in and out before Imperial reinforcements arrived. That second part was, of course, easier said than done, and that only added to the stress of this mission.

* * *

The _Ultimate_ stopped short of Loukhamii, this was in order to activate the cloaking device. Suddenly, the ship became invisible from the outside, and, not only that, but active jamming technology worked to make it invisible on any radar or scanners, particles of ice from the rings of Taaszon were dumped over the engines too, to mask the heat presence of the thrusters. The cloaking device and the accessories to it really did make the ship disappear, but it came with a price. A number of prices really, one: the cloaking device didn't work in hyperspace, so an immediate fast escape wasn't an option if something did give us away. Two: the _Ultimate_ had its black angular armored plating, some of these plates could retract to reveal the ship's extensive arsenal, however, the cloaking device couldn't handle that, so weapons weren't an option either. Finally: while invisible at a distance, we could still be seen up closer by the naked eye - it was difficult to miss a starship-shaped distortion of the stars and wild space behind it - meaning our cover would be blown as soon as we made a move to actually enter the space station. It was imperfect, but we didn't exactly have any better options, so I readied my two blaster pistols.

They weren't ideal, I would much rather have had my double-bladed lightsaber, but I understood the present circumstances. It didn't matter what weapon I was most comfortable with, it mattered what weapons would allow for plausible deniability - everything we had to use on this mission was either going to be separatist equipment or things that the separatists could conceivably get - now, at the same time, we weren't exactly going to riddle separatist paraphernalia around the place either. It had to be conceivable as a rogue attack by a separatist survival cell, one which would obviously not want to be caught. I, especially, wanted that. It was perhaps a little naive of me, but I wanted to hope that there was a conceivable way for this mission to end without the Empire identifying a suspect. I wanted the Empire to have to wonder who did it, because maybe that way those on Loukhamii wouldn't have to suffer for our crimes. I could tell myself that they were separatists and that they deserved it, but I knew that wasn't true.

Separatist civilians were innocent of the Clone Wars. They legitimately believed that the Republic was going down the wrong path and they wanted to break away, they didn't know that their cause had been co-opted by corporate interests and, worse, the Sith. They were victims of Palpatine just as much as the people of the former Republic, and the people of Loukhamii were even going so far as to resist Palpatine and his reign. These separatist holdouts weren't our enemies, they never were, and, perhaps, they could even serve as our allies. I did recognize that I was, perhaps, being a bit too idealistic though. Phanza and the rest of us didn't want to spend any more time in the Loukhamii system than strictly necessary, and the Empire wold attack whoever they damn well please, regardless of our actions. This might spark reprisals, but make no mistake, Palpatine intended to crush this resistance sooner rather than later anyway. At least, that is what I tried to tell myself to justify this mission for myself, because I knew that this was the right thing for Taaszon.

"Our scanners show that a group of ARC fighters are preparing for a patrol. We're going to have to take that opportunity to slip into the hangar. The rayshield will be open and, if we do stay out, the fighters will catch us." Ceyla explained, showing that it truly was now or never. I took a deep breath and steeled myself as the three fighters left the hanger. The colorful, heroic red and white paint scheme of the Republic fighters was replaced with a uniform gray and black scheme, as if it was Palpatine's whole mission to sanitize the galaxy and rob it of all individuality. Everything had to fit his austere Imperial theme, everything had to be forced to submit before the uniform image of the Empire. I didn't have much time to remark on these fighters however, because, soon after, the _Ultimate_ lurched forward. Ceyla tightly turned the ship left into the hangar, docking in the space station. The cloaking device no longer necessary, Ceyla and Phanza got to work, dropping the disguise and opening up some of the panels on the ship, revealing both the landing gear and the weapons.

"I'm deploying the localized jammer, we have enough power to keep this hangar from reporting to the security office for thirty minutes." Phanza explained, activity a device on the ship and giving her and Ceyla a time table with which to destroy the security office. At the same time, Ceyla used a gun mounted on the nose of the craft to gun down the clones in the hangar, clearing a landing zone for us. Yevenna and I, meanwhile, got up and heading to the landing ramp, standing there at the ready, just waiting for the ramp to open before storming out of the ship and hitting the remaining clones hard. I was somewhat relieved at this stage, actually preferring that I had the blaster pistols now. Shooting at the clones was a lot more impersonal compared to having to go face to face with my corner comrades and cut them up. Though again, that was mostly just me struggling to find a bright side to this situation.

"The ramp is opening, get ready!" Yevenna shouted as soon as we touched down and the landing ramp began lowering. I took one more breath and readied myself, feeling the Force flow through me as we readied ourselves. Finally, the ramp hit the ground and the two of us stormed out, Yevenna eagerly opening fire with her twin pistols and I followed with slower, less experienced shots. Taking time to aim and using the Force to augment my shots did help me score hits on the clones, but I clearly was not as experienced in this department as the Mandalorian was. I kept my high accuracy approach as Yevenna launched herself into the air with her jetpack, gunning down the clones who took cover. Anyone who popped up was quickly shot down by me, and anyone who remained ducked down felt Yevenna come down with a storm of blaster fire on them. We were making good progress, and, at the same time, Ceyla and Phanza emerged from the cockpit. I watched as Ceyla, seizing the opportunity, released her backpack missile on the control center for the hangar, ensuring that they couldn't contact the security office even if we stopped jamming them. Of course, the security office would still respond if they received no word from this hangar after some time, but Ceyla and Phanza were more than capable of neutralizing the security office before then.

Black laser bolts flew threw the room as Phanza opened fire with a long and elegant scoped blaster pistol. I could clearly tell that Phanza Attam favored her lightsaber, as all Force users did, but she seemed to look perfect with this blaster pistol as well. The blaster bolts themselves were interesting - they were reminiscent of her red and black lightsaber, but rather than the red glow, these black bolts seemed to have a plain white one - on top of that, they were also extremely deadly. As Phanza shot two clones dead, I noticed that the wounds still burned with a black and white smoke, exactly the same color as her blaster pistol. It was a deadly weapon, certainly not one I wanted to be on the receiving end of, and Phanza seemed almost arrogant as she holstered the weapon yet again. The Nautolan smirked as well, which didn't exactly help matters. Perhaps she was taking some of her aggression at Operator Rahlkann out on these clones.

"Call us on the mics if anything goes wrong, otherwise, head right back here when you're done. If we arrive first, we'll have the ship fired up and ready to go, otherwise, you fire up the ship and wait for us." Phanza ordered as we split up. A fast escape was important to this plan, after all, it only took the slightest mistake to have the Empire come crashing down on us. That is why I think Phanza and Ceyla are going to head for the security room first - I would imagine that they would even go so far as to clear it out before rigging it to blow - and I hope they do, because I do no want to see any one of these three ships getting word of our attack and slipping away, especially not if Yevenna and I were onboard when it happened. I think the two of us are good fighters, but I can't see us two commandeering a star destroyer all on our own. In any case, I hope it doesn't come to that, I would prefer if this operation goes smoothly.

Yevenna and I headed out of the hangar and followed the circular structure of the space station - the Empire was still relying on Republic designs and equipment, I've been on stations of this exact design once or twice before - heading to the docks for the first of the three star destroyers. As we walked, I noticed that the red armored Mandalorian had holstered her pistols and switched to the rifle she had with her ever since we left for Cipher-9, and I had to imagine that meant that her instincts were expecting the arrival of some clones any moment now. The hallway was about to narrow and straighten out when Yevenna suddenly took cover on one side of the narrowing, I mimicked her actions on the opposite side, raising an eyebrow as I wondered what was going on. The Mandalorian helmet, unfortunately, wasn't all that expressive. Yevenna threw a charge onto the roof - a little disk off of her belt - and she motioned for me to wait. It was soon revealed why as a patrol of clones rounded the corner and rushed into the hallway.

The clones filed in, perhaps even to investigation the commotion in the hangar, but then Yevenna deployed her charge. A sonic boom filled the hallway, killing some clones instantly, knocking others around, and disorientating the rest. I didn't even hesitate and I popped out of cover and unloaded both my blaster pistols into the hall, taking down any clones who survived, before Yevenna could even spring into action with her rifle. The last clone fell and I lowered my arms, holstering my blasters, and taking a moment to realize what I had done. A whole hallway of dead clone troopers, my former friends, right in front of me, and it was my doing. Perhaps I would've been able to stomach it under different circumstances, perhaps I would have been able to use their faceless helmets to dehumanize them in my mind, but the visor of the clone right under the charge had been shattered. I saw, through the mangled remains of that helmet, the face of the clones I had fought with. I saw the faces of Warlock, Wishlist, Warden, Witchcraft, Winch...all of them. They may have betrayed me, they may have led to Master Avdune's death, but they saved my life so many times before that, they fought alongside me so many times, they had been my friends...

"Zaliza...I'm so-look, I'm sorry, but...we need to keep going. We still have a mission to complete. A mission, you remember that right? You're with me, Zaliza, right? Me? Yevenna Aphlen? Your friend?" Yevenna asked, the Mirialan even taking off her helmet out of worry over how disconnected I seemed in that moment, but I snapped out of it. She was right, we did have a mission to finish, and we haven't even armed one of the cruisers yet. I was well aware of the fact that clones were going to die in this mission - we were blowing up three Venators and a space station after all - so why did it affect me so much? These men, these particular men even, could be Jedi killers for all I know. They may have gunned down a Jedi Knight or even a Master without a second thought, because of what? Brainwashing? Mind control chips? I wasn't entirely sure, but I did know that I shouldn't have complete sympathy for these clones. It didn't matter if they looked like my former comrades, right now, they were instruments of Palpatine, working to make the galaxy suffer.

"Right, right, lets go." I finally recovered, Yevenna and I rushing off the the first of the three ships - though not before Yevenna picked up the charge she used, paying close attention to not leaving behind any damming evidence - our first target. I wasn't sure exactly which ship we were hitting and when we were doing it - even if ships had their own strong identity before the Imperial takeover, Palpatine was making all of that disappear now - but I did know that we reached the first ship without much further resistance. Whichever ship this was, they were all configured basically the same, and we had a reactor to strike. Thus, Yevenna and I proceeded through the open airlock, exiting the space station and entering the first star destroyer. I took note of the fact that the decor hardly changed as we switched over, the same uniform interior design present in both the space station and this star destroyer. Considering that the airlock had been entirely open when we passed through - the space station had an insulating sleeve over the airlock, meaning that doors weren't necessary in this case, the whole apparatus was sealed shut from space - an untrained eye may not even recognize we changed vessels.

"This way," I whispered to Yevenna as I led the way to the engine room, doing my best to avoid the clone troopers. Hiding was somewhat easier said than done considering that I was dressed in black and purple robes while Yevenna was in a red and black suit of Mandalorian armor - neither of which particularly blended in with the gray, black, and white decor of a star destroyer - but the ship was also a big place and we were able to stay out of the path of the patrols we did encounter, regardless of our colorful outfits. We could win a fair fight against these patrols, we had the firepower to do so, but Yevenna and I both preferred not to try it - first of all because any commotion could draw more clones to the scene, second of all because I didn't particularly want to kill any more clones - managing to make our way to the engine level. I covered Yevenna as she took out a security spike and opened up the door to the engine room, knowing that there would be guards inside and that particular fight would be unavoidable.

"Ready? Now!" Yevenna declared, the door opened and I immediately rose a blaster and shot the clone at the communication station dead - the last thing we needed was to get to the engine room only for the clones to sound the alarm - the other clones rose their blasters at me in response. I reached into the Force, not trusting my eyesight, but rather trusting in the natural power within me to line up my blaster and pull the trigger, and the Force didn't let me down. Time and time again, my shots landed, and, at the same time, Yevenna opened fire with her rifle, rapidly finishing off the remaining clones before any of them could make it to the communication station. A silent glance at each other and we both got to work, Yevenna Aphlen heading to arm the reactor, while I set to work cleaning this mess up, not trying to leave any evidence behind. We had to make sure the clones would remain unaware of our activities for long enough for us to get everything rigged to blow. An empty engine room was suspicious, but an engine room with dead bodies all over it left no room for interpretation.

I started with gently lifting the dead clone off of the communication console, making sure his body didn't bump into any of the buttons on the console and accidentally alert the bridge. I managed to maneuver the clone out of the console and then, left without much other option, I unceremoniously dumped him off the catwalk. The reactor was essentially in a massive room, extending from the bottom of the star destroyer all the way to the top of it, and the exterior walls were a far way off as well, and all of this was as a safety measure. An explosion of the reactor would take out the whole ship and then some, there's no avoiding that, but this large room was designed to shield other parts of the ship in the event of a radioactive leak or a power surge off of the reactor. Regardless of the reasoning, the room was so big it looked like an endless drop from this catwalk, so I threw the clone corpses down there, encasing them in the shadows. The last clone body was disposed of as Yevenna finished priming the explosive on the reactor - buried in such a place where it was not immediately evident - again, the point was not to avoid suspicion, simply to avoid getting caught for long enough for our plan to succeed.

"One down, two to go." Yevenna summarized as we made our way out of the engine room and off the ship, continuing our mission.

* * *

"We're priming the second engine room, how is it going on your end?" I asked Phanza over the holocommunicator as, the second time around, I decided to be quite a bit smarted about disposing of the clones. Rather than manually throwing each of them over the edge, I levitating their bodies up with the Force and released them over the void, letting the ship's artificial gravity do the rest. That, obviously, meaning that I was done before Yevenna was, so, while keeping an eye out for future intruders, I took the opportunity to contact Phanza, wondering how the Nautolan Sith and the Echani Mandalorian were doing.

"We took over and neutralized the security center, placing the separatist charges. Right now, Ceyla and I are placing charges on the superstructure of the space station. That way, anything that survives the explosions within the base and off the star destroyers suffers from the depressurization." Phanza explained, revealing the overlapping contingencies within her plan. Between the explosions inside the space station and the reactors of three star destroyers going off right next to the space station, it was very likely that the whole thing would be destroyed, but, even if it wasn't, the exposure to open space would finish the job. The space station and the star destroyers weren't going to survive this operation, we were sure of that. Technically speaking, the star destroyers were the only necessary target anyway, since they had the combat data, but taking out the space station would, one: hurt the Empire more, and two: make more sense as an operation by the Loukhamii separatists. A group trying to liberate their whole planet would want to destroy the Empire's whole presence in the skies above them, not just the three star destroyers dispatched to crush them. We were doing everything we could to maintain this deception.

"How exactly are you doing that?" I asked. Ceyla had her jetpack, so presumably the Mandalorian was just floating as she armed bombs to the supporting pillars of the super structure, but how was Phanza doing that?

"I'm levitating, obviously. I would've thought that holding a 110 pound object still for a few moments at a time with the Force was well within your skill level." Phanza replied, and I could practically feel the Sith Lord smirking as she spoke. Yes, I could hold a Phanza sized object still for a few moments, even pull her back up if I had enough focus, but it took quite a bit of focus and spatial awareness to do that to yourself. There was also the fact that, as Phanza has already demonstrated a fair bit, she's proficient enough in using the Force that she doesn't need to channel her power through her arm. If I was holding Phanza still, I would have to reach for her, sending the power through my hand, but she's obviously levitating herself just fine. That was indicative of a level of ability with the Force that I simply didn't possess, and it only made Lady Attam seem that much more powerful.

"You don't have to mock me." I replied, my tone was tight in reply. Not only was Phanza flaunting her own power, but the way she said it implied that this was a simply, almost juvenile ability, as if it was laughable that I was a Force user this old who couldn't levitate. Well, the fact is, I can't levitate, I wouldn't trust myself over that kind of drop, even if I do know I could hold an object of my weight with the Force. I mean, I just held and dropped those clones who were, one: larger than me, and two: wearing a suit of armor, but I didn't trust myself levitating myself. It was easier to focus on an external object than focusing on holding myself, and I didn't care if that made me sound weak or stupid in some way. I knew I was capable of doing great things with the Force - this whole mission I've been throwing clones a lot and using the Force to aim my shots - but I also knew that I had limits.

"I'm not mocking you, Zaliza. In fact, I believe that you're actually stronger than me in the Force. The only thing that is potentially holding you back is your unwillingness to use all sides of the Force. The Force is not an omnipotent being waiting to punish you, it is a natural force and you have the ability to manipulate it, to tap into it, and to use it. I am one hundred percent confident that you could learn to levitate." Phanza explained, again getting into her ideology, basically reducing the Force to a weapon. I had to admit, she did make it sound a bit foolish to think that the Force was a greater being than we were, as if it was some boogeyman that could hit back at any moment. Perhaps the Force wasn't that, but there were absolutely consequences to abusing the Force. The hideous, gray, scarred face of Chancellor Palpatine nowadays is proof of that, a disfigured old man, but one with all of the power of the Dark Side at his disposal. I know that Phanza insists that the Force can be forced to submit and the Dark Side can be used without consequences, but I have to admit, I find that hard to believe.

"Look...now is not the time. We'll talk on the ship or something." I deviated, ending the call as I saw Yevenna finish up with the bomb. The blue hologram of Phanza faded away and I put my communicator away before the two of us slipped out of the second engine room. Two of the star destroyers were armed to blow, the security center of the space station was taken over, and Phanza and Ceyla were arming the super structure itself - we were almost done with this mission. I didn't want to take a sigh of relief too early, but this mission was going well, and, in fact, it continued going well. Yevenna and I even managed to get off of the second ship, head through the space station, and board the third Venator without getting caught, this mission was going better than I could have possibly expected. Of course, I loved that this was going well, I didn't want to have to fight and kill clone troopers - now, of course, I was completely aware of the fact that all of the clones on these vessels were going to die when we blew up the separatist explosives, but that was far less personal - I understood that this was a necessary act in opposition for the Empire, but it still hurt to kill the faces of the people who I fought alongside for the entire Clone Wars.

Yevenna Aphlen and I managed to sneak through the star destroyer yet again, another good sign. Once again, the Mandalorian hacked the door - she was, admittedly, better at demolitions and hacking than I was - one consequence of being a Jedi is an overdependence on the Force and my lightsaber. In conventional circumstances, I would cut down this door with my lightsaber and then blow the clones away with the Force, but we were trying to be stealthy here, hiding our identity and trying to make this attack seem like a separatist strike. I took a deep breath and, once the door opened, I shot down the clones again, clearing the first walkway. The four catwalks of this room converged on the reactor, and Yevenna and I moved out as we gunned down the clones on the other walkways, trying to be rapid about this. In these fights, speed was of the essence, because any moment the clones could call for reinforcements. A final two clones from the opposite walkway rounded the reactor. I rose my left hand and gunned down the one on the left while, next to me, Yevenna raised one of her blaster pistols and killed the one on the right, our actions in perfect sync. Aphlen holstered her pistol and went to work arming the final reactor as I used the Force to dispose of the clones.

"...protocols, with which our troops will be ready to - where are the patrols?" I ducked behind the communication console and Yevenna used the reactor for cover while still arming the charge, both of us trying to hide from the two Imperial officers who just entered the room. I cursed mentally, this was not good. One officer unholstered his blaster pistol and the other readied his com, ready to contact the bridge. Ideally, Yevenna and I would shoot one each, but she was busy arming the reactor, meaning that it wasn't an option this case. I did, however, have two pistols in my capacity. I could, theoretically, shoot both, but I was running out of time. The first officer started rounding the reactor, coming close to discovering Yevenna, while the other kept standing on the other side of the reactor, where I couldn't shoot him directly. I took a deep breath and made a decision, based on the fact that Phanza said I was strong in the Force.

I aimed my blaster pistol at the one rounding the reactor, confident in my ability to hit him directly without the Force, and I prepared to use the Force to make my second shot work. I was going to shoot up in the arm with my right blaster and, then, I was going to use the Force to angle it down and to the left, going back around the reactor and killing the second officer. I exhaled, mentally preparing myself, and I took my shots. The first officer, rounding the reactor on the left, was shot in the far shoulder, not a fatal shot, but the force of it also knocked him off the platform, sending him screaming to his death. That scream wouldn't told the second officer exactly what was going on and he could've alerted the bridge if I wasn't careful, but, fortunately, both shots were simultaneous. The second blaster bolt came around and hit the second officer right square in the chest, killing him instantly. I took the opportunity to sigh in relief before disposing of the second officer's body. Yevenna armed the bomb and, just like that, our part of the mission was complete, with minimal incident too.

* * *

"I mean, I do think it's a shame that the Imperials are going to target Loukhamii in response, but, like you said, the Empire was going to target them anyway. They knew what the price was when they rose up against the Empire. It's not like we could take credit either, because then it's going to be Taaszon which is gonna get targeted. It's a - they're coming." Yevenna and I were just talking about the morality of this mission when we heard a hail of blaster fire, a hail of blaster fire which was getting closer. Naturally, we assumed this was Phanza and Ceyla. Yevenna took the pilot seat, firing the ship up, while I hopped in the copilot seat and took control of the nose gun, swinging it around and getting a feel for the controls.

"Go! Go! Go!" Phanza shouted as she and Ceyla ran for the ramp, Imperials behind them. I gave them covering fire as they boarded the ramp, and the moment they were both on it, Yevenna swung the _Ultimate_ out of the hangar and simultaneously raised the ramp. Phanza and Ceyla rushed straight to the cockpit as soon as they were aboard.

"They'll have fighters heading after us any moment and they'll check for explosives, you need to blow it as soon as we're clear." Ceyla advised, taking a grim estimation of events. The two of them took seats in the back, Phanza priming the detonator as none of us had any time to shift position.

"Wait for it...wait for it..." Phanza knew that time was up against us, but she also knew that the explosion from the space station and the star destroyers was going to be a big one. It was going to take some distance before we were safe, and we couldn't promise that the detonator would work when we were in hyperspace. Phanza took a look at the distance between us and the space station, took a breath though gritted teeth, and hit the detonator "Now!"

The explosion of the space station and the Venators detonated behind us, all of it blowing up as we finally won a victory over the Empire. The four of us wanted to celebrate, making good of the costly information from Cipher-9...but then the shockwave reached us. The last thing I felt was the ship lurching forward from the blast as we were left alone and unconscious in the space above Loukhamii.


	18. The Last of The Separatists

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a great review on AO3 this past week, offering a great series of critiques and recommendations. The gist was that the pacing of act two was slow, and, while part of that was intentional - in contrast to the activity of the Clone Wars - I recognize that it could come across as boring. Particularly if you're waiting two weeks in between these chapters. Well, I hope that with these last few chapters and with the next one, there has been more activity and action, with better pacing lately. I'm trying to both take my time and keep your interest, so, if you ever have any advice or critiques, feel free to share it either on AO3 or FFN.

Act II.

The Heart of Darkness.

Chapter XVIII.

The Last of The Separatists.

* * *

I groaned as I woke again again, trying to figure out where I was. My shoulder ached from hitting the seat belt I was wearing, my neck was sore from my head limply hanging forward, and, as I looked up, I saw a blinding white light. I panicked for a split second, my brain going to the foolish notion that this was the blinding white light of me becoming one with the Force, but, as I raised my hand to block the light, I realized where I was. I was in the cockpit of the _Ultimate_ , the personal craft of Lady Attam, and, as I turned around, I saw the Nautolan woman laying there, still knocked out, but I sensed that she was fine. While I was turning over to see Phanza, I also saw Yevenna Aphlen - the younger Mandalorian who was forced to pilot the ship when Phanza and Ceyla needed a rapid extraction - her helmet was laying against the side of the cockpit, suggesting that it could have been a painful impact had the Mirialan not been wearing her helmet. I was also aware of Ceyla sitting next to Phanza, the silver armored Mandalorian not awake either.

"Ugh...what is that light?" Phanza asked, groggily, as she got up. I was worried for a second, thinking that Lady Attam wasn't nearly as okay after the accident as I was, but my fears were quickly assuaged. Phanza blinked her big black eyes a few times, looked around the room, and got her bearings, rising to her feet in the face of this mysterious light. I watched as Phanza stuck out her left hand without even looking, pulling her lightsaber to her hand, wanting to be prepared for whatever this was. My thoughts, briefly, turned back to the conversation we had while onboard the Imperial space station, where Phanza not only said that I was just as strong as she was, but potentially even stronger, and I just plain didn't agree with it. Lady Attam had all of this power: she could grab her lightsaber with her mind without looking, she could levitate over a deadly drop with confidence, and she released a massive lightning storm from her fingertips back during the Battle of Imperius Prime. Phanza was definitely stronger than me and that was simply a fact. Though, as the white light shifted away to reveal its source as a large cargo freighter, I realized that this was not the time to think about the Force or about power, not at all.

"Is it Imperial or are they scavengers?" Ceyla asked, the two Mandalorians suddenly awake and at attention, not a moment too soon either, as the cargo bay of the freighter opened as a tractor beam dragged us in, the damaged _Ultimate_ lacking the power to escape. We were up against the clock with the Empire about to pursue us, the whole space station either had become aware of what we were doing or were about to, thus, as soon as she sensed we were safe, Phanza hit the detonator and blew the whole space station up, destroying it. Unfortunately for us, us being safe from the blast didn't include the ship, which was caught up in the explosion. The windows held, the life support systems were fully operational, and the hull integrity was sound, but our thrusters were incinerated and we were dead in the sky. There was nothing we could do about the freighter, nothing but waiting to see who we were going to encounter here over Loukhamii. Ceyla asked a very valid question but, as far as I could tell, this was not a Republic design. I couldn't say for sure, but I didn't think that the Empire was producing their own designs quite yet, not in large scale, nor did I think we would still be alive if the Empire caught us in this situation. Scavengers searching for wreckage amongst the ruins of the space station? Perhaps, but this seemed like a large operation for some petty scavengers.

"I don't mean to be disrespectful, sister, but I don't think that these are scavengers. This is something else." Yevenna pointed out, the younger Mandalorian echoing my thoughts. Yevenna addressed her as sister, which I assumed was a Mandalorian thing, but there was a lot I didn't know about Mandalorian culture quite yet. Yevenna wore a feminine style helmet with the curved design, but Ceyla, who was also female, identified as such, and was addressed as such - with Aphlen calling her sister just now - wore the more traditional type of visor, with the T-shape. Perhaps it was just a personal choice, I wasn't sure, but, despite these two different styles of helmet, I saw the same dead serious expression on both faces as we were finally bathed fully in the natural lighting of the cargo bay, the door sealing once we were let it. The four of us remained on our ship, waiting for the door to fully close and for the air vents to reactivate - thus making it hospitable again - but, even when the room was restored to its normal functionality, nobody came. Our ship was locked in some mysterious freighter, somewhere over Loukhamii, and nobody was even coming to see what they picked up. This was a strange experience on top of an already complicated mission.

"Get your lightsaber but conceal it Zaliza, we're going out to figure out what is going on." Phanza ordered, the Nautolan assumed leadership. I obeyed without question, lacking a better plan. I grabbed my lightsaber and I tried to figure out how to hide a double-bladed lightsaber - more easily said than done - but soon enough I found a hidden slit within my black and purple robes, large enough for my lightsaber, hiding it along my back. Along my spine up into my hood, I hid the weapon as I joined with Phanza, her own curved-hilt lightsaber hidden somewhere. We were still in Sith robes, though we did have our blaster pistols on our hips,, but there wasn't much we could do about that now, thus, the two of us stepped down the ramp and into the cargo bay itself, investigating this freighter. Ceyla and Yevenna stayed behind to protect the ship, knowing that plenty of possessions - including a pathfinder to Taaszon no less - were still in the ship, even if we couldn't necessarily fly it back out of this freighter. Thus, the two of us separated, trying to figure everything out.

"The door is the only way in or out. There can't be many openings considering that they open this to the vacuum of space." I observed, Phanza and I thus headed to the door. It wasn't exactly ideal, we would prefer something that was unexpected, rather than marching directly where the ship owner expects us to, though it's clear that we don't have much choice. I stood watch at the door, my fingers twitching just inches away from my blaster as Phanza inserted a security spike - I suppose she must have grabbed it off the ship whilst I was getting my lightsaber - and hacked the door open. I wasn't sure what I had been expecting when the door opened, but I have to admit that I was surprised by the results. In contrast to the cold, utilitarian part of the freighter, the part of the freighter that was actually in use was a large open floor plan, and it was very warm and colorful no less. Faux hardwood flooring covered what was once a simple metal floor, a beautiful kitchen with an island counter took part of what seemed to have once been an austere, almost military kitchen. A living room with plenty of pieces of furniture - furniture that roughly matched, but clearly wasn't of the same set - suggesting that this was once a mundane cargo freighter, perhaps even a military vessel, but, between renovations and scavenging, this place was transformed into a proper home.

" _Follow me, the cockpit is at the front of the ship_." Phanza used our mental connection to communicate, being very careful to remain silent and get the drop on whoever was piloting the ship. The path to bridge exposed some of the less homely parts of the ship, as the design converged into a narrow hallway with a staircase in the middle - leading up to the bridge, which was located high up in the freighter - but even here, a number of odd paintings and posters filled the walls. Esoteric paintings of alien women, contrasting landscapes of barren deserts and opulent cities, and even an artistic representation of the Separatist Parliament of all things. I took notice of that painting and made sure Phanza did too before the both of us headed up the stairs. We had no idea what this person could be or who they were affiliated, with this interior and these paintings asking more questions than they answered.

"You can stop sneaking, I know you're there." a female voice spoke out and, out of anything I could have expected, it certainly wasn't this. Sitting crosslegged in the swiveling pilot seat was a barefooted dark-green skinned Togruta with white facial markings and blue stripes on her head tails and horns. Unlike the Togruta Jedi I knew - Shaak Ti and Padawan...well, former Padawan Tano - she didn't have the Akul-teeth headdress, rather, a set of goggles were clipped to a metal ring that filled the same space. Presumably her lekku meant that she couldn't wear conventional goggles, thus, she made this headpiece. I checked to see if this young woman was armed, but I didn't find any weapon, instead, I just noticed the fact that she was barely dressed. On closer inspection, she was not only barefooted but almost entirely barelegged, only wearing a pair of black shorts with red stripes on the side, then, after an exposed midriff, she wore a little tank top that matched. This left her arms, leg, and midriff exposed in an outfit that showed more skin than some of the things that Phanza would wear. I eased my posture, this woman rescued us from the wreckage of the space station and was clearly not going to fight us dressed like that.

"Right, my apologies. Why did you tractor beam our ship from the wreckage?" Phanza asked, making peace with the woman, making it clear that she wasn't going to harm her. I saw her narrow her eyes and take us both in, the blue eyes of the young alien darting between Phanza and I as her red-tinted goggles rested on her forehead. The two of us stood passively, my hands no longer itching to grab the two blaster pistols that, for the sake of secrecy, had become mine over time, and Phanza crossing her arms well away from her own deadly pistol. The young Togruta - quite possibly a teenager, not that I'm any older myself - accepted this gesture and would explain what was going on.

"Well, you two don't exactly strike me as Imperials and you were in the wreckage of one of their space stations so, what the hell, I'll tell you. I'm a scavenger for the Loukhamii Resistance, when the space station and the three star destroyers blew up, I was hoping to find something for us to use against the Imps on the ground. Instead, I found a ship that didn't look Republic/Imperial/Separatist/whatever, so, I investigated. I saw that you were alive in there, so I brought you into my ship. You're welcome by the way." the girl revealed. Apparently, when she was glancing between us, she wasn't just trying to gauge our intentions, she was trying to figure out whether or not we were some sort of secret Imperial operatives. Seeing two red-skinned aliens, one a Nautolan, the other, ostensibly, a Zeltron, in strange robes, and using custom blaster pistols rather than anything Republic or Imperial issue, she rightfully decided we weren't with Palpatine. Then, knowing we were in the wreckage of an Imperial space station, she figured she could tell us she was working with the separatist holdouts. That explained the painting of the Parliament, but, given that she saved us, I wasn't considering her a threat either.

"Thank you." I said, she obviously didn't know that I was once a Jedi, but I still wanted to voice the lack of hostilities. I had a feeling that we were going to spend some time here - the _Ultimate_ clearly wasn't in any condition to fly us back to Taaszon - perhaps the resistance could help us fix the ship, but it would come with a price, and that price was, no doubt, going to be helping the resistance in some way. No one in the galaxy expects anything for free - no one smart anyway - and, once upon a time, that fact is what made the Jedi so unique. The Jedi were willing to help and bring peace without a price, but, overtime, we became intertwined with the Republic, thus, sometimes, our aid was withheld for political reasons, then, we were unable to help because we were preoccupied with the Clone Wars, and finally, the only Jedi still surviving are in hiding. Our order has been whittled down to a shell of its former self and then destroyed, the galaxy is back to being a place of favors and greed, where everything has a price. Though I wasn't exactly mad, because perhaps this was the Force doing its work.

Phanza wouldn't agree, she made it clear that she viewed the Force as something to wield, as a source of power, but I did believe that the Force had a way of influencing events and there was merit to the idea of fate. Phanza, the Mandalorians, and I, came here to blow up a space station and make it seem like an attack by the Loukhamii Resistance, but now, we were indebted to that resistance. Now, we were in a position to help them survive the Imperial reprisals that we have very likely just brought upon them. This was the Force influencing events, this was the Force seeing that we did something that was perhaps immoral, and now giving us the chance to make it right, Phanza may disagree, but I couldn't help but see things this way.

"So, what are you going to do with us now?" Phanza asked, still not entirely sure about the green Togruta woman. I didn't think that it was anything particular about this woman, more that Phanza, who is standing here in her Sith robes with her tattoos completely exposed, is generally rather paranoid and careful, as our experiences on Cipher-9 proved. Phanza knows that it's pretty clear that she's a Sith and that I am a Force user as well and, unlike the clones on the space station, we're not planning on killing this green, white, and blue-skinned woman. A woman whose name we didn't even know at this stage, all we really knew was what she told us, about being a scavenger and working on behalf of the Loukhamii resistance. I could sense that we were the only ones on this freighter - not counting Ceyla and Yevenna, of course - and that she wasn't a Force-sensitive, but, with the Force, I couldn't tell much more either. Operating on Nar Shaddaa has been easy - trust no one but try and get their information - and, while I didn't exactly like clones, this last mission was simple enough too, but getting involved with these separatist holdouts? That was a more complex matter. The idealistic side of me definitely wants to help them, and I think that it would be the Jedi thing to do, but the more cynical side of me can't help but remember the Clone Wars. All of it was under the orders of Palpatine, but how many crimes against the Republic have these Loukhamii separatists committed? I couldn't say, I didn't know much about this planet. I knew it wasn't one of the major separatist planets, for what that's worth.

"Well, you need repairs, don't you?" the Togruta asked. Phanza glanced at me and I nodded, showing her that I trusted the green-skinned alien. Lady Attam considered her actions for a moment, but then she decided that she was going to trust my judgement. Phanza nodded and the Togruta shrugged and continued "I can take you to a resistance controlled spaceport, but you need to keep it a secret. If you start talking about our operations to anyone, I'll start talking about whatever it is you two got going on in this wreckage."

"A fair ultimatum, I suppose." Phanza replied, agreeing to keep it a secret. The Togruta didn't say it, but there was also the implication that she had her own suspicion about the robes and the fact we were clearly hiding exactly who we were. Speaking of, there was the matter of introductions, we had to get some basis of trust going, but I wanted to leave that to Phanza. I didn't want to slip up and reveal something I wasn't supposed to, so, I was going to let her introduce us and I was going to work from there. I wondered what the Nautolan was going to say when she began speaking "My name is Phanza, this is my friend Zaliza. We, along with our Mandalorian allies, just escaped the space station before it blew."

"Pleasure to meet you, my name is Aela." the Togruta shared, we were on a first name basis then. Phanza told Aela who we were and about our mission, but kept it as vague as she could, not that it would do any good against the Empire. If they Empire so much as found out a Nautolan was involved in this mission, they would suspect Phanza, especially given that I doubt Vader has forgotten about the Nar Shaddaa business. My guess it that the former Jedi turned evil executioner knows that something is suspicious about the Star Cluster casino, all he needs is proof. That being said, considering that Aela literally just admitted to working with a resistance fighting against the Empire, I doubted that she would was about to tell the Imperials anything. There was a certain solidarity in that respect, we were both enemies of the Empire and, even though we didn't exactly trust each other, we were both far more distrustful of the Empire. A common enemy to unite the most unlikeliest of allies: a former Jedi, a separatist collaborator, a Sith Lord, and two Mandalorians, all brought together against the Imperials. Though, then again, perhaps I'm the odd one out, considering Count Dooku's company during the First Battle of Geonosis.

* * *

Loukhamii was a somewhat rugged planet, as it turns out. It was not quite a desert, more of a shrubland, a chaparral, with slight hills and mountains in the distance. In some ways, it reminded me of many of the battlefields of the Clone Wars. Barren worlds shelled to nothingness, once lush planets were turned into bleak, brown battlefields with tanks, walkers, and troop transports crushing any vegetation that managed to survive. Even Felucia, with its thick, exotic jungles of colorful, brilliant massive plants, was criss-crossed with worn down, barren roads, destroyed tanks and vehicles, and bombed out bases. Planets were completely destroyed by the Clone Wars and, while this one may have been spared from the war, it doesn't seem to have been particularly productive. That was another one of the disadvantages that the separatists had in the Clone Wars, the Confederacy of Independent Systems had some industrial worlds, some highly populated worlds, but, mostly, it was a series of barren, low population Outer Rim worlds.

"Here, they'll tow your ship to Hangar S9-C and repair it. They won't go inside unless they have to do repairs on the inside." Aela promised, after speaking to the harbormaster and getting us a reasonable rate, with some conditions Phanza wanted. The Nautolan nodded and agreed as I looked over to see which hangar bay we were currently in - S2-A/B - a combined bay for this larger freighter. Phanza's ship, the _Ultimate_ , was a fairly big craft, but it was a different kind of ship to this massive freighter. Lady Attam's vessel was a personal craft, a small yacht, and a warship all at once. The _Chancellery_ was a similar craft in that respect, though it played more into the luxury craft aspect and the weapons were even more hidden. The _Ultimate_ can hide weapons, with the sleek stealth panels, but it was clear that it was a military vessel, whereas the _Chancellery's_ weapons and true nature was meant to be hidden. In any case, it seemed that the ship wouldn't be too far from here, though the implication is that this is a very, very larger spaceport - probably the main one of the planet.

"Thank you, what's the price then?" Phanza asked, finally getting down to business. Ceyla and Yevenna came over and joined us, the Echani and the Mirialan holding their helmets under their arms, all four of us knew that this wasn't about credits. This was going to be what the Loukhamii separatists wanted in exchange for fixing our ship - if this was about credits, Phanza would have spoken to the harbormaster directly - the hangar workers were affiliated with the resistance and they were going to fix our ship as a favor to the resistance. That, of course, meant that Aela's superiors were going to use us against the Empire, which could be an advantage in a way. We wanted to fight the Empire just as much as Loukhamii did and, if we managed to harm the Imperial presence here, they would need to send reinforcements here, reinforcements which then couldn't be used against the Grand Duchy. Not only did we destroy the space station, but now we were going to, most likely, draw more attention to Loukhamii, and this time, we were gonna do it with their permission.

"Well, your ship is a really high quality vessel. We need pretty exotic materials for the thrusters, the lightweight carbon-infused alloy for the armor at the rear, and the shield anchors for the overlapping rayshielding you want. It's all going to be really expensive." Aela explained, doing two things here. One: the green-skinned Togruta was beginning to work us over to gain our help, and two: it spelled out just how impressive the _Ultimate_ really was. The official name may have been the Ravager-class Sith Interceptor, but the title of _Ultimate_ was no exaggeration for this kind of ship. The speed of the ship was thanks to the powerful thrusters, the armor was incredibly protective but still lightweight, and, on top of that, it had the unique system of shields. Rather than one large rayshield over the whole ship, there were overlapping shields based off of these anchors. It was an incredibly impressive vessel, and a good justification for whatever it is that these separatists want "Look, we need a favor and you're in debt to us. You're heavily armed and armored, so please, follow me and I'm going to introduce you to some very important people in the Loukhamii resistance. You'll help us out and, by the time you're done, your ship should be fixed."

"Yes, yes, I know how these things work." Phanza responded, a bit rudely, but I could kind of understand why she was like that. We were, essentially, being extorted by a half-naked alien scavenger - though, to be fair, Aela did put some black boots on before leaving the ship, so she was ever so slightly more dressed than she was beforehand - and the Nautolan didn't like that. If there was one thing that our mission on Cipher-9 confirmed to me, it was that Phanza Attam loved being in control, and she hated when things were out of her control. Phanza didn't like that Operator Rahlkann was able to get information out of her and now she didn't like that Aela was making us work for the Loukhamii separatists. There wasn't really an ideological component to this - yes, Lady Attam fought against the separatists when they tried to invade the Grand Duchy, but her anger didn't come from that place - her anger came from the fact that she wasn't the one in control here. Lady Attam was being forced to do favors and work off debts here, and that is not what the Sith Lord wanted. To her credit though, any other Sith would have simply threatened Aela to get what they want, but Phanza has proven herself to be different. It may be a stretch to say that Phanza is a good person, because she's not, at least not entirely, but, on the other hand, she certainly wasn't evil.

We left the open hangar bay and entered the interior of the spaceport, where the brown decor conveyed the feeling of a modern and rather rich city in this semi-arid biome. I suppose that this meant that Loukhamii was a relatively wealthy world, just one that was somewhat lacking in terms of population and strategic resources - though, on the other hand, it was equally possible that this was a world of immense inequality where wealth and resources was accumulated in the capital city at the expense of the rest of the planet - for, if there was much strategic significant to this world, we would have taken it during the Clone Wars. The fact that the world lacked major separatist resources, nor was it located on a major hyperspace route, meant that Loukhamii was not significant to the galaxy. Would it have suffered shortages and harsh taxation during the Clone Wars? Absolutely, all worlds did, even ones in the Republic, but it wasn't a battlefield like so many similar worlds. Loukhamii is only relevant now because Palpatine wants to form his Empire and reign over the entire galaxy. That includes every world that was once part of the Republic and every world that was part of the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

Soon enough, we emerged out of the space port, emerging on one of the major avenues of this city. The large buildings along this wide metal street were in the same shade of brown as the interior of the hangar, forming a consistent look for the world. Brown certainly wasn't my favorite color, but it kind of worked in this circumstance, these buildings certainly looked nice and the dark, rich shade made these buildings look new while not garish, belonging while not too simple, earthy but still luxurious and fancy. Aela led us down this street, past the tall streetlights - it was still day time right now, but I would imagine that they did an excellent job of illuminating the area at night - and into the main square of the city. A central open forum of the square was devoted to a marketplace, with stalls selling a variety of goods. There was a fair amount of stalls and activity here, but it was clear that this space used to host far larger amounts of activity. The Clone Wars and now the Imperial attempts to subjugate the world have clearly reduced the amount of trade going on. I would imagine that even the goods that were sold here were thanks to smugglers and to scavengers like Aela herself. It was an interesting sight, but the marketplace was not our destination.

Our destination was the large, wide building at the other end of the square. It looked almost like two particularly large versions of the usual buildings of this city - roughly a square floor plan with a slight slope of their walls, tapering in just a bit, with a short, straight-walled section within, the small sloping walls coming in to form a bit of a balcony around that top floor - joined by a straight walled section with a grand entrance way in the center. I suppose that the best way to describe it would be as a palace, though, in present circumstances, it would much like a fortress as well. Militiamen patrolled that upper balcony, armed with heavy blasters and sniper rifles - it seems that the Loukhamii resistance was forced to rely on these men when the droids were deactivated by Palpatine - and, at the door, two particularly burly men stood, armed with assault cannons and vibropikes. Aela walked right past them and we were allowed in as well, the men - one a Kaleesh and the other a particularly towering Rattataki - clearly trusted the Togruta woman's judgement.

"Welcome to the former Presidential Palace of Loukhamii, now the headquarters of the resistance. Our last President went to negotiate terms with the Empire, wanting to protect the interests of this planet. We thought that, maybe, if the Empire could address the very issues that led to us joining the separatist alliance, we could accept joining the Empire. There was no negotiating for us, our President...well, he was imprisoned and we were given an ultimatum. Surrender and accept Imperial control or be occupied. We refused and, under the provisional leadership of Senator Cenetta, we have been fighting to keep our homeworld." Aela explained, guiding us through the building which I rightfully guessed was a palace. It seemed then, rather than for corporate reasons like the Trade Federation and Techno Union worlds, Loukhamii joined the Confederacy of Independent Systems for just reasons. They legitimately believed that their needs were being misrepresented and mishandled by the Galactic Republic, thus, they were open to trying something new. Then, perhaps naively, or perhaps out of pragmatism, they approached the Empire and tried to get some of what they originally wanted, instead, Palpatine gave them an ultimatum. Thus, the Sith Lord posing as the Chancellor turned Emperor of the galaxy demonstrated that he is ruthless and uncompromising: you will obey him or you will be crushed.

"I'm sorry this has happened. Your peoples intentions seemed noble." I replied. I still hadn't revealed to Aela that I was once a Jedi and that I fought against the separatists in the Clone Wars, but I still hoped that she appreciated that there was meaning behind my words. The fact that we were fighting droids desensitized some Jedi to the violence we experienced, but it still hurt me. I hated the fact that I had to slaughter countless droids in a conflict that made no sense for the Jedi to even be involved in. This was a conflict over secession rights and, essentially, we were fighting to assert Republic dominance over these worlds that wanted to leave. Yes, the separatists were supported by the Sith and by corrupt corporate interests, but, with the revelation that Palpatine was Darth Sidious, and with the corrupt interests in the Senate as well, the Republic can't claim to be any better. In the end, we were fighting a war of aggression against people with good interests who were just as mislead as we were, and the only winner of the Clone Wars was Darth Sidious himself.

"Thank you." Aela said before opening the door to the Senator's office. The Togruta's presence kept from causing a panicked reaction, but things got tense as we entered the office. The Senator herself, Cenetta, was an elegant young woman, a blue-skinned Twi'lek wearing a fine headdress, a tight dark blue and white outfit covered her body while, on her thigh, sat a scoped blaster pistol, meanwhile, covering her left arm, was a short black cape. The outfit definitely seemed like something that I would have seen on some of the younger female senators on Coruscant, such as Padme Amidala or Riyo Chuchi - though again, I didn't want to think about them too much given that these two very well may have been killed by Palpatine for being threats to his authority - but that wasn't even the most surprising part. Standing just behind the Senator, serving as bodyguards, were two elite, specialized battle droids, somehow not deactivating. I saw Phanza throw a concerned glance at me as my breathing grew heavier, scared to be in the same room as battle droids after the whole war I experienced. I knew I could defeat them, I knew I had my lightsaber as well as these two pistols I was starting to get used to, and I knew that I was among friends, but I was incredibly unsettled to encounter them again. I never thought I would see active battle droids again, and I was certainly not prepared for it.

"These are the survivors you found?" Cenetta asked Aela, addressing the Togruta first. Aela nodded "Good, thanks babe." I glanced at Phanza as the Senator gave the scavenger a kiss before letting her go, surprised by the unlikely pair. The display of affection seemed odd to me, certainly not because it was between two women - my experiences with Ullara have moved me way beyond such prejudices - but I didn't have the context of their full relationship. Perhaps Cenetta and Aela have been comfortable and domestic around each other for years, we didn't know. In any case, Cenetta clearly didn't want this to be about her personal life, because she cleared her throat and spoke again "I'm not stupid. I know that you destroyed an Imperial space station over our planet because you wanted to fight the Empire without the risks. Instead, you want the risks to fall on us, on my people, on my world."

"You say that as if it's a bad thing. Attacking and not getting caught is rather standard fair, isn't it?" Phanza coldly responded with yet another reminded that she is a Sith Lord. Pragmatism, pragmatism, pragmatism, that defined much of how Phanza operated and how the Grand Duchy operated, and it resulted in some good things, but here, it's also manifesting in a bad way. Lady Attam knew we needed to hit the Empire, especially these cruisers with the tactical data that seemed to be based off of the armies of Taaszon, however, she also didn't want to provoke an Imperial invasion. Loukhamii provided Phanza with the perfect opportunity and she took it, we all took it, and now, we were face to face with the leader of the resistance with a debt to them. Phanza was being flippant about all of this, she didn't want to be under anyone else's control, but we should cooperate. We did something very unjust to the Loukhamii resistance, now, we had the chance to help them and maybe fix things, stopping the Imperial reprisals. I wanted this, even if Phanza was being difficult about this.

"It is a bad thing, because, last I checked, until your ship is fixed, you're stuck here too." Senator Cenetta countered, as predicted, she was leveraging the ship to get our aid. Now, I wanted to help and, looking at the Mirialan Mandalorian, I got the sense that she wanted to help as well, but I also didn't want to force Phanza's hand in all of this. That made everything rather difficult, but the Twi'lek continued before I could dwell on it too much, the blue-skinned woman having no such reservations about forcing Phanza's hands "Now, I don't know what you have going on here with these robes and that armor, but I know that you're at least good enough to blow up an Imperial space station. That means that you're good enough to help us against the Empire. The troops on the surface are going to come here and they'll come for blood, and you're going to help us fight. Considering this is all your fault, it's the least you can do."

Now, one of the things that I told myself to justify that mission for myself, was that the Empire wasn't going to let Loukhamii resist for long anyway. Sooner rather than later, Palpatine was going to have Senator Cenetta and all of these rebels killed, it didn't matter whether or not they destroyed the space station and it didn't matter whether or not we stood by their side. That was a justification for myself, but that didn't make it any less true. I did want to help the separatists and I didn't want to see these people hurt, but the former separatist senator was being a bit high and mighty about all this. Did we force the Empire's hand sooner than expected? Perhaps, but they were certainly going to come. Thus, Cenetta was being unnecessarily forceful about this.

"Very well then. What are we going to do?" Phanza acquiesced with a sigh, perhaps the Nautolan could feel my feelings through the Force, perhaps Phanza Attam was not quite as hardline about this issue as she was making herself seem, or perhaps she simply knew when she was beaten, it didn't really matter, because Senator Cenetta was already moving on. A 3D holoprojection of the city and the surrounding areas was activated over the Twi'lek Senator's desk. The city was like a fortress from this view, surrounded by thick, towering walls on favoring ground - the city was not at the top of one of the large hills, but the land around the city did slope up towards it, meaning that we did have the high ground - but the wide, subtle expanse of land in front of the city could be a disadvantage as well. If this city was surrounded with rockier, hillier, less even terrain, then that would hamper the Empire's ability to use combined arms, but, as the situation as, Imperial tanks and walkers have nothing but a slight incline to traverse...not exactly an obstacle. There is shrubland in the way, but, given than I've seen Republic AT-TE walkers and A6 Juggernaut tanks in action on Felucia, I doubted that some shrubbery was going to be much of an obstacle. On the other hand, given that the space station is destroyed and reinforcements have not yet arrived, it's possible that the Imperial presence on Loukhamii doesn't include such heavy vehicles.

"Glad you asked." Cenetta began, explaining her plan to weather any Imperial reprisals.

* * *

"...I'm just saying that not all Mandalorians are bounty hunters, it's kind of an offensive stereotype." Yevenna complained to Ceyla as we began carrying out Cenetta's plan. There was, evidently, a bounty out for the leaders of the Loukhamii resistance, thus, the plan was to use that as a ruse to get into the Imperial command center, then, with the element of surprise, we were going to take it over. The specifics of the plan were that Ceyla and Yevenna were going to pose as Mandalorian bounty hunters - despite the Mirialan's objections - and bring in a roughed up Cenetta. The Senator, insisting this had to be believable, and suggesting that she had an image to maintain - her surrendering to two Mandalorians peacefully would apparently hurt her reputation as the capable and uncompromising leader of the Loukhamii separatists - had Aela apply apply some false bruisers with make-up and, somehow, even produced an artificially swollen lip, making it appear as if Ceyla and Yevenna took the Twi'lek Senator by surprise and by force. Phanza and I, meanwhile, were hidden in the back of the speeder we were provided, ready to jump out and help the Senator and our Mandalorian comrades at a moment's notice. Aela would take a back-up position on a nearby ridge with some Loukhamii soldiers in case anything went wrong. Then, in case things went very, very wrong, the capital city and its walls were our fall back point. We were hoping it didn't have to come to that though.

"Don't worry, if they buy into it, you'll get to shoot them." Ceyla replied, the combination of a dry voice dripping with dark humor and the mechanical tinge of her helmet came together to produce an interestingly threatening tone. I was, surprisingly, unphased, and I couldn't help but wonder why as the speeder rode from the capital city to the Imperial headquarters, there wasn't much for Phanza and I to see back here in the sealed rear container of the speeder. As a Jedi, I think that I would have been more offended by that remark, but now? Not so much. Perhaps my time on Taaszon desensitized me to these little kinds of threats, these little moments of bloodlust, and this casual nature of violence, but I couldn't say for sure. The reason why is that I've seen tremendous violence on the part of the Republic - battle droids being cut apart without a second thought, bombing and artillery strike against droids dangerously close to civilians, and the orbital bombardment on Ypherro - and I was fourteen, fifteen, sixteen when I experienced these. No, if I was going to be desensitized to violence, it would have happened a long time ago. Instead, maybe it's a result of the circumstances around me. I know that, whatever Phanza, Ceyla, or Yevenna may say, the Grand Duchy of Taaszon is a better option that the Galactic Empire and, while going for the lesser of two evils isn't always the best move, I know that this is my best option right now and I know that I'm glad to be here.

"Do you want to meditate?" Phanza asked, knowing that there wasn't much to do on the drive and that leaving me with my own thoughts hasn't tended to go well recently. I looked at the Nautolan for a moment, her red-skinned, big black eyes, and black tattoos identifiable even in the dark - I think that, after all this time together lately, I could make out Phanza's appearance in the worst of circumstances - and I tried to think of a reason to say no. I still haven't been meditating lately, but I remembered that day in the library, where Phanza offered to teach me the Sith language. I reached into the Force and, despite my fears, I wasn't struck by anything, I wasn't hurt, and I wasn't haunted by anything, I could tap into the Force without a risk. I tried to think why I wasn't doing it anymore, after all, when I was a Jedi, I did it everyday. Why am I even speaking of being a Jedi as a past tense thing? I can still rebuild the Jedi, I can still help fix things. I could meditate everyday, I could stay devoted to the Jedi teachings, and I could even find a way to spread the Jedi way. Why, then, was I so willing to let it all go? Honestly, it felt easier to say that I wasn't a Jedi anymore, it was easier to toss off the burden of rebuilding the Jedi. Easiness was never the path though, not when Ullara died for me.

"Yes." I accepted, realizing that I was quickly getting trapped into my own head again. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and focused on the Force, trying to drown out the cacophony of thoughts flowing endlessly through my head. I felt the Force coming off of me like a wave of energy, slowly spreading across the surroundings, feeling Phanza, feeling our Mandalorian friends, feeling Senator Cenetta, and feeling the abundant plant life and shrubbery of the planet. I felt the plants, alive and vibrant despite the dry, seemingly harsh environment, I could sense the water molecules held in the planets - even the smallest of molecules containing life, containing midichlorians, and being present in the Force - and I felt the rays of light warmly coming down onto the planet. I concentrated on a bush we were passing feeling the light hitting it and bouncing off, and, just like that, we passed it, leaving the bush in the distance. All of these contained midichlorians, all of this contained the Force. That, of course, didn't stop us from drinking the water, from cutting down trees for wood, and from eating animals for their meat. I wasn't suggesting that we should stop either. The Force didn't seem to care that we did all that, but, on the other hand, the Force did seem to care about fate. We were here, after all, having to help the Loukhamii resistance after trying to blame the space station explosion on them. I guess, in that way, both Phanza and I were right.

Phanza was right in that we could use and manipulate the Force, relatively, without consequence. She was, however, wrong in thinking that the Force was completely inert, because I believe that there is fate, and I believe that it is the Force itself that influences those things. The Force is everything, the Force is life itself, and, while the Force does not necessarily have intentions and morals, it does influence trends and even specific events. Phanza is not going to be punished for using Force Lightning in a fight, however, if she constantly devotes herself to the Dark Side and the endless hunt for power, embracing greed and personal advancement above friendship, above nourishment, and above human decency, it will have consequences. I am not going to be rewarded for every little act of meditation, however, being connected to the Force can provide clarity and focus that I need sometimes. The fact is, meditation is a healthy exercise, and, while it's never going to actually fix any of the problems in my life or how I feel, it can help alleviate the burdens placed on myself.

Slowly but surely, I began to feel the presence of the clone troopers in the distance, knowing that we were getting closer to the Imperial headquarters. I began to pull back, beginning to come out of the meditation, but, before I fully did, I took note of Phanza. The Nautolan woman's appearance was still purple, that odd, eccentric mixture of both light and dark, and I figured that it was no coincidence that this color matched the typical color of the Grand Duchy of Taaszon. I also took note of the fact that she could send me strong messages and contact me through the Force back then, so, tapped into the Force, so close to her, and with her meditating as well, I thought about trying to reach out to her. Then, I thought about it. I thought about how Phanza reacted to Operator Rahlkann fishing for information or Senator Cenetta outmaneuvering Phanza and forcing her to work for the Loukhamii resistance, and I decided that this wasn't the best time to intrude on Phanza's privacy. I didn't think that Lady Attam was going to hurt me if I tried, especially not because she's done this to be before, but I figured that this wasn't the best time to test her. Phanza was about to murder clone troopers and, even though she's a Sith, I think that she needs to psyche herself up for such a task. Now wasn't the best time to try such things.

I exited the meditation just as the speeder stopped. I took a deep breath. We were going to wait for the Mandalorians and Senator Cenetta to take control of the command tower before leaping out and taking control of the ground part of the compound. I suppose that Senator Cenetta fought that destroying the Imperial presence on the surface would save them from reprisals, but, honestly, I thought that the opposite was true. Three star destroyers and a space station, sent here to crush the Loukhamii resistance, were just destroyed, and now, just a day later, the Imperial headquarters on this planet is being attacked in a surgical strike. This wasn't a good way of ending reprisals, instead, this was a way to draw more Imperial attention to the world. I don't see how this is supposed to erase the harm we did to Loukhamii, if anything, this is making it worse, and the only consolation is that we're doing what the Senator wants. I didn't know, something was suspicious about this, and I'm thinking that perhaps Senator Cenetta is up to something else here. I wasn't going to go so far as to suggest that she's an Imperial agent - I don't see how an Imperial agent leads a resistance movement, that's far-fetched for even Palpatine - but I did think that she had an ulterior motive here. Not ulterior against Loukhamii, whatever this was, it was probably going to help the separatists, but perhaps it was ulterior against us.

" _I sense Ceyla and Yevenna in the elevator with Cenetta. They just loosened her cuffs and slipped her a blaster. Once the elevator door opens at the top of the tower, they'll be opening fire._ " Phanza told me through our mental connection. I silently nodded and grabbed my two blaster pistols, ready for action. I didn't need Phanza to tell me when the blaster fire started in the tower, because I heard it myself. I watched as Phanza immediately hit the Empire hard, using the Force to blow the doors at the rear of this speeder open. Phanza's unique blaster pistol put two black and white laser bolts into the clones that had positioned themselves behind our speeders. At the same time, I lined up a number of shots with the Force, trying to either hit or at least suppress the clones at the main gate of this compound - I didn't want them to lock us in here if things went poorly - and I managed to gun one down while putting the other in cover. Realizing that we weren't exactly leaving witnesses here, I used the Force to pull the clone out of cover with one hand while shooting him with the other. Satisfied with our work, Phanza and I hopped out of the back of the speeder. She would go right and I would go left, taking this compound.

I held both of my blaster pistols as I rounded the corner of the speeder, unloading into the clones coming at us from that side, trying not to think of the fact that these men were once my allies. The men of W squadron had even let me call them my brothers, becoming part of the companionship and camaraderie that the clones shared, but that didn't stop them from trying to kill me and Ullara on Ypherro. It wasn't going to stop me now either. I saw a collection of explosives in the distance - likely supplies they were massing for an assault on the separatists - and I curved a blaster bolt at it with the Force, watching the munitions go up in flames, disorienting the clones near the explosion. Seeing an opening, I ran forward to a piece of cover, shooting my left-handed blaster to suppress the Imperials. At the same time, I saw Phanza confidently stroll out of cover, taking down clones with a single shot if they so much as exposed a single bit of white armor to her sight. I saw a wounded clone - one I shot - manage to get up behind Phanza, preparing to gun butt her. I wanted to shoot him, to save the Sith Lord, but before I could, Phanza used the Force to pull a baton to her free hand, using it to strike down the Imperial clone without even looking.

"She's a Jedi! Open fire!" one of the clones shouted, having realized how Phanza did it. I was both relieved and terrified that they turned their attention to Phanza. Relieved because the focus was off me and I could now accurately pick off the clones, but worried because Phanza was now fully out in the open and identified as a high priority target by the Empire. These were clones, they had the same DNA as the men who gunned down and killed Master Avdune, now, they could do the same thing to Lady Attam, and I wasn't going to let it happen. I took a deep breath before retrieving my lightsaber from the hidden slit in the back of my robe, then, I stood up and made myself known to the Imperial clone troopers.

"You want a former Jedi? There's one right here!" I declared before activating my double-bladed purple lightsaber, drawing all the attention away from the Phanza and on to me. The clones immediately opened fire, but I was able to deflect them back with the twin blades of my lightsaber, some of the bolts even bouncing back and hitting the clones who shot them. At this point, knowing that our cover was blown as they we were going to be leaving behind witnesses anyway, Phanza activated her own lightsaber. The now familiar black and red blade ignited and, with a Force-enhanced roar, the Nautolan took a spinning leap at one of the clones, killing one of them before she landed between two others. I watched as two clean, one-handed swings expertly executed them both. Lady Attam assumed an elegant Makashi pose before bringing her lightsaber down and striking at yet another clone. The attention was divided and their numbers were reduced, therefore, rather than continuing to play defense and deflect blaster bolts, I leapt into the fray and cut down a number of clones, relishing the feeling that I was using a familiar weapon again. I was getting better with the blasters and I knew why we had to use them, but nothing compares to the feeling of a Jedi and her lightsaber being perfectly in sync, fighting together, the blades like extensions of myself, going exactly where I envision.

A number of clones, which had retreated earlier, were assembling an E-WHB-12 heavy repeating blaster in an attempt to fight us - only a weapon that strong and that rapid could stand against a Force user deflecting lasers with their lightsaber - and I knew we had to respond. Realizing that we wouldn't be able to close the distance in time and accepting that it was already well established that we were Force users, Phanza decided to go all the way with revealing her power. I watched as red lightning shot from her fingertips, electrocuting the clones and, as if that wasn't enough, short-circuiting the blaster cannon as well. Phanza lingered on her hand for a moment, as if the Sith Lord was relishing the use of her power in the same way I appreciated being able to use my lightsaber again, but, soon enough, she dropped it and focused on our surroundings. The clones were defeated and the compound was clear.

"We need to dispose of these bodies. They have lightsaber wounds on them." Phanza decided, realizing that the evidence was pretty damming. It wasn't pleasant, but Phanza and I gathered the bodies in a single pile in the corner of the base and, grabbing a separatist explosive from her belt - likely a leftover from our mission on the space station - Phanza placed the explosive on the bodies, looking to eliminate the evidence. We walked back to the speeder, detonated the explosive, and I tried not to think about the fact that those were my former allies, former members of the Grand Army of the Republic, lying in that pile of burnt ash and scorched armor. There wasn't enough left of the clones to identify exactly what happened. There would be suspicions of course - especially if they piece together the shattered chunks of armor and begin seeing clean cuts from the lightsabers - but by the time anything is concrete, we'll be long gone. This was all necessary to fight the Empire I told myself, we were doing the greater good here, liberating the world of Loukhamii from Imperial control, if only temporarily. As I tried to make my peace with the mission, Phanza called Ceyla on her holocommunicator.

"I assume those explosions were you?" the Mandalorian asked, referencing both the munitions I blew up and the explosion just now.

"Yes, we're clear down here, how is it going up there?" Phanza asked, the Nautolan Sith Lord clearly still somewhat suspicious and mistrustful of Twi'lek Senator. I didn't think that it had much to do with her being a member of the Separatist Parliament, I think it had more to do with their personal interactions. Phanza loved being in control, the only person she was willing to take orders from was Grand Duchess Voytana herself, and she certainly wasn't in control here. I took note of Phanza's tattoos, originating in slave culture in the old Sith Empire, first worn by Lord Kallig as she went from a mere Twi'lek slave to a Sith Lord and, finally, to a Dark Councilor under the name of Darth Imperius. Phanza's line of masters and apprentices originates with a former slave, in her way of life, in everything that she has ever known, resisting servitude was paramount. Now, she's in debt to some Senator on a no-name world in the Outer Rim.

"I don't know, Cenetta is activating something on the - wait, we're picking up an Imperial ship entering orbit." Ceyla reported as two shocking sights suddenly revealed themselves to Phanza and I. First of all, directly in front of us, a building on the compound opened to reveal a room full of deactivated, war ready battle droids - B1s, B2, Commando Droids, even droidekas - Cenetta's true target. As if that wasn't bad enough, coming down from the skies over Loukhamii were two LAAT gunships - gone was the colorful, white, red, and gold Republic livery, replaced with a sterile Imperial gray - flanking a sleek and modern black craft. I wasn't sure what exactly this was, but it didn't look like anything good. The Loukhamii separatists were after a cache of deactivated battle droids, it seemed that an important Imperial figure was arriving on Loukhamii, and Phanza, Ceyla, Yevenna, and I were all caught up in the middle of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been chapter eighteen! By the way, the latest episode of the Mandalorian was fantastic!


	19. The Wrath of The Inquisitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! So, here we are with chapter nineteen. As I once said, this act was originally going to be ten chapters, ending with chapter twenty, but I decided to extend the act and add a few chapters I thought would be interesting, or would spice up what has largely been a rather passive act in comparison to the first one. This means that chapter twenty-five will be the final chapter of act two. This chapter and the last one, the ones taking place on the actual surface of Loukhamii, are among those additions I made. Anyway, the point is that we at least have another few months before a hiatus, assuming there even will be another hiatus with this story. We shall see.

Act II.

The Heart of Darkness.

Chapter XIX.

The Wrath of The Inquisitor.

* * *

A warehouse full of deactivated battle droids was suddenly alive again, an Imperial craft escorted by gunships was arriving, and we were trapped here, on the surface, at the mercy of the Loukhamii resistance. They had our ship, and, considering what was going on here, they have us surrounded as well. Senator Cenetta is still in the tower, the droids are standing there, activated but currently silent, and Cenetta's backup team is out there, somewhere, ready to pounce on us. At least, that's what I assumed was going to happen, and why wouldn't I? Cenetta lied to us about the purpose of the mission and now she had a whole division of activated battle droids at her disposal. We were the only thing standing in her way and she could try and buy the Imperials off with us, why wouldn't she try and cut off loose ends? I didn't think it would work, of course - I was confident in Phanza and I's ability to crush these battle droids, especially with the assistance of a pair of heavily armed Mandalorians - nor did I believe that any bargain between the Imperials and the Loukhamii resistance would actually work. I am simply suggesting that this is what the Twi'Lek Senator is going to try, and, in response, I held my lightsaber at the ready, adrenaline still flowing through my veins.

I turned to the tower to see two jetpacks fire off and leave the control center. A moment later, Ceyla and Yevenna landed next to us, both of them holding their blaster pistols, but neither of them were raising them quite yet. The Mandalorians knew that Cenetta was hiding what exactly she did up there, they knew that she was being dishonest with us, but they were going to let Phanza take the lead. I was inclined to do that as well, for a number of reasons here. The fact is that I don't know what we should do to Senator Cenetta here, I don't know if the situation is already lost or if there is a peaceful solution here, and I didn't want to be the one responsible for whatever happens here. I know that was a weak answer, I know that, as a Jedi, I should perhaps be doing more, being more of a leader, and sticking up to the values and ideals I used to preach, but I just couldn't find myself doing that anymore. The Jedi were already far from what I wanted when I was a member of them, now I'm supposed to rebuild them in a hostile galaxy against an evil Empire hunting us down? I couldn't do that and that's probably why I felt so much relief simply by calling myself a former Jedi. Besides, I thought to myself, Phanza handled the Nar Shaddaa situation just fine.

"You lied to us." Phanza spoke as soon as Cenetta exited the elevator at the base of the tower. The red-skinned, tattooed Nautolan facing down her blue-skinned Twi'Lek Senator counterpart. I glanced at the battle droids again, they were clearly active, they were even looking at us, but they were doing anything yet, and that was a bit of a relief, at least for now. I'm assuming that this means that Senator Cenetta is in control of these droids and can turn them against us at will, but is currently choosing not to. I hope that Lady Attam can manage this situation the right way, though I must admit, starting with an accusation like that doesn't seem to be the right way to go here. I hoped that Phanza was fully in the moment here and that she wasn't bringing in her anger over Operator Rahlkann, over being used by the separatists. Right now, we need Phanza the diplomat, not Phanza the Sith Lord.

"So did you. Not only are we harboring enemies of the Empire, but we're harboring Jedi. Do you have any idea what kind of attention that is going to bring on us? Do you have any idea what those three ships could mean?" Senator Cenetta countered, referring to the arriving ships. I noticed that Phanza didn't correct her when she said we were Jedi, and I supposed that was for the best - this wasn't exactly the time to explain that Phanza's a Sith Lord but not like those Imperial Sith Lords, she's a different kind of Sith Lord, we swear - that wasn't exactly going to go over well. At least Phanza was handling that part well. The craft, meanwhile, were making a landing not far from this base, the gunships hovering down and the unique Imperial ship coming in for a landing between them. The long, sleek wings angled up so they were pointing straight up as the ship lowered back down, and I'm sure this was for moral effect as well. The sleek craft looked far more modern than anything on this planet, it flew with these wide wings out to produce a chillingly large shadow, and then, when it landed, the wings stuck straight up so that they could be seen from a great distance - alerting everyone that the Empire was here.

"But you knew that already, didn't you?" Phanza called Cenetta's bluff, something which I even found surprising. I knew that, because of the robes, we definitely appeared suspicious - mainly because we were intending on being in and out of the space station without leaving anyone alive to question our clothing choices - lightsaber evidence was something we were less willing to leave behind, that would draw Imperial attention. Now, thanks to this unscheduled detour on the surface of Loukhamii, we were clearly dressed as Force users in the presence of these separatist holdouts, and that is what Phanza is counting on. Senator Cenetta knew what we were and agreed to use us accordingly, we did not, however, know that her true plan was to reactivate confiscated battle droids. Phanza was counting on this fact to keep the peace with Cenetta - she lied to us but we didn't lie to her, simply omitted a few things - and, hopefully, that would keep this fragile alliance together for long enough for us to repel the Empire and get off this world.

"And you already knew that attacking an Imperial headquarters was no way to stop further reprisals. The loss of a space station and a ground base will absolutely draw more Imperial attention, not less. So, you know this wasn't our real mission. Our real mission was to recover additional troops to help us survive the fallout of your actions in space." Senator Cenetta countered, playing on the fact that we had our own suspicions about her mission - and, at least in my case, she was absolutely right - so, ultimately, we both deceived each other and we both knew we were deceiving each other. This could now go one of two ways: either we will go ahead and acknowledge the fact that we were both suspicious of each other, working together anyway, or we'll both recognize that both of us violated the terms of this fragile alliance and there was no reason to maintain the illusion of peace anymore. Personally, I was hoping for the former because, with Imperials here, us fighting was a suicidal idea. Palpatine would like nothing more than for enemies of the Empire to destroy each other.

"You do know that battle droids aren't a match for clone troopers, right?" Ceyla countered, pointing out that ordinary clones are tactically superior to the ordinary B1 battle droids. The critical difference of the Clone Wars was that the B1 droids were far cheaper and thus mass produced to a greater number than clones could be grown, meanwhile, the stronger units of heavier battle droids further strengthened the hordes of cheap infantry. B1 battle droids were clearly designed with conquest in mind, arriving in overwhelming numbers at a relatively low cost and crush the resistance - a single B1 is worthless, but thirty B1s are a force a challenge for an ordinary squad of clone troopers - elite units, Jedi commanders, or EMP weapons would be needed in such circumstances. In this case, using a very limited number of battle droids to bolster the existing resistance seems ultimately inconsequential. The Empire sent a space station and diverted three star destroyers to Loukhamii before we got involved, now, the true Imperial response will be completely overwhelming. I don't see a battalion of clankers having any effect against the full brunt of the Empire coming down on this insolent resistance to Palpatine's reign over the galaxy.

"I am acutely aware of this, but it's also a start. We are a resistance movement, we make due with what we get and we make it so that the resources the Empire will need to spend on keeping this world outweigh the benefit of taking it." Cenetta replied, revealing that, in the long term, it would be guerrilla warfare, subterfuge, and sabotage. If these droids can be used to hazard Imperial occupiers and make their lives difficult, then that was good enough for the resistance. It seemed...desperate to me, a horrible, bloody, and cynical struggle for survival. Is that what this galaxy is now? A choice between suffering under the thumb of Palpatine and his Empire or living a horrible life of running, fighting, and rebel in a hopeless struggle against said Empire? The Jedi had just existed and now, just a few months later, people were already going to these lengths to survive. Except, it's not like that, because these people were already doing that long before the Empire even came into existence, for the people of Loukhamii, this is merely a continuation of the Clone Wars.

The people who would become the Confederacy of Independent Systems had to make a difficult choice: do they accept dwindling autonomy, reduced significance, and be forced into a minority bloc in the Senate, or do they partner with corrupt business interests and tyrants in the hopes of achieving better conditions through secession? The people of the separatist alliance already chose a bitter struggle against the Empire and, while they too were played by Palpatine, perhaps their more well-intentioned members saw what was happening to the rest of us before it really happened. Palpatine was growing in power ever since the Naboo Crisis, the Jedi were increasingly detached and dogmatic, and the Senate became dominated by our own corporate interests, by allies of Palpatine, and, as the Clone Wars began, by belligerent war hawk parties that played into increased military spending and autocracy. Palpatine had, in reality, destroyed every single ideal of the Republic and everything that we were supposed to stand for long before he formally declared himself Emperor. Now, Palpatine was deploying his instruments of autocracy and subjugation across the galaxy, instruments which were here and now, presenting a very real threat to all of us.

"Look, we both lied to each other and we both had our reasons, but can we discuss this after escaping the Imperial base?" I finally interjecting, spelling out the urgency of the situation to my comrades, now that it seemed we were in imminent danger of killing each other anyway. My friends and allies stopped their little staring contest and got a grip on the present situation. Our speeder was fine and ready, but the route back to the capital would intersect the Imperial landing site, that meant that someone would need to face the Imperials while the others escaped. There were two obvious candidates here, ones capable of doing this mission: the first was a surprise attack by Aela and her reinforcements, who were still waiting in reserve. This idea would catch the Imperials off-guard and give us all the opportunity to escape, but it was also likely to result in a great number of separatist casualties. That would also raise the question of how they are going to get these droids out of here without help from the relief force. We don't have the time to hold off the Imperials for long enough for these droids to march out of here. That left us with the second option: Cenetta, Ceyla, and Yevenna escape, the reserve forces takes the droids, while Phanza and I face the Imperials. We would have to expose ourselves, but we were also the most capable ones here, at least when it came to fighting large groups of enemy troops.

"Right, you and your droids get out of here. Our Mandalorian companions will protect you. Zaliza and I will go face the Imperials." I wasn't sure if Phanza independently came to the same conclusion as I did or if she picked up on my thought process through the mental link, but either way, Phanza gave the order and no one argued with her, everyone immediately snapping into action. Ceyla and Yevenna prepped the speeder and turned it around - making sure it was ready to go - while Cenetta contacted Aela and the other reserve team to help collect the droids. Phanza and I, meanwhile, left the base and started walking towards the Imperial position. Darkness had, by now, descended over the brown rock and dull green shrubbery of Loukhamii, and temperatures were plummeting quite a bit, setting the stage for a night battle here on the rocky hills of this chaparral world. Chaparral which provided Phanza and I with some cover for a moment as we observed the scene in front of us: clones were slowly but methodically getting off of the gunships and establishing a defensive perimeter as the landing ramp of the black vessel descended.

The ramp hit the ground and, in what was perhaps a coordinated bit of Imperial pomp and circumstance, nothing happened for the next moment. Perhaps it was designed to trigger fear, anxiety, and build suspense amongst the local populace, the enemies of the Empire, and, at least with me, it worked. Who was on this vessel? Was it more clones? Was it Vader himself? Was it some kind of unique unit of clones specifically designed for putting down resistance movements? I knew that the Republic and Kamino were exploring various types of special forces and unique clones by the end of the war, why would that change now? My head was filled with various horrifying possibilities as Phanza and I waited for someone to finally come down those stairs, but I think the truth ended up being far worse than any possibility I thought of. The first sign of something being wrong was a single pair of feminine boots, and my brain immediately went to the worst possibility possible. If this is what I feared it was, then that was absolutely horrible, because this was an encounter I wasn't ready for, this was a person who I wasn't ready to save yet. The second sign that something was wrong was the ring lightsaber on the hip - confirming that this was an Inquisitor - and at this point, I took a sharp inhale. The last alarm went off when I saw a pair of Lekku, making me ask the question: what are the chances that there are two female Twi'lek Inquisitors in Palpatine's arsenal? Please, let it be more than one, please...but, the familiar, if twisted, signature in the Force confirmed it. Thonna Ai'sunn, the Third Sister, was here on Loukhamii, right in front of us.

" _You take the clones, Thonna is mine_." I told Phanza through our link as the sound of two speeders - presumably the other belonged to Aela and the reserve force - came from the base. If we were going to be the distraction, it was now or never. The Nautolan seemed a bit surprised by me taking the lead, but she nodded and accepted it, the two of us stepping out of covering and making ourselves known. Thonna's attention immediately fell on me, the violet-skinned Twi'lek Jedi turned Imperial Inquisitor was taken aback, not only by me being here but by my brazenness. The clones were confused, but didn't seem to immediately make us as Jedi, raising their guns at us but waiting for the Inquisitor to give an order, deferring to the chain of command. That all changed when, after initially following me, Phanza veered off to the left and ignited her lightsaber, making herself known.

"it's a Jedi! All squads attack!" a clone ordered, the identical voice crying out, the very voice that I heard so many times from my comrades, now calling out against me, against us, to attack us. Behind me, Phanza was dodging shots, swinging her lightsaber, and electrocuting clones, her movements graceful and deadly as she proved that the Makashi form - while focused on saber combat - was more than capable of destroying swarths of blaster-armed enemies in the hands of a skilled duelist, but neither Thonna nor I were thinking about that. We both looked at each other, both of us concealing our faces in a way, concealing what we were. My red-skinned face and my purple eyes were in the shadow of my hood, while the mask of an Inquisitor covered my friend's face. I had to conceal myself to survive, hiding from the Empire, meanwhile, the Empire forced that mask on her, just like they forced her to wield that lightsaber, and just like they forced her to hunt down her former masters, friends, and peers. We were both victims of the Empire, we both had to hide what we were, but there was no reason to hide what we were to each other. Yet, right now, as we slowly circled one another, sizing each other up, the gap between us felt monumental.

"We don't have to fight." I spoke first, ceasing my circling and trying to stop this. I didn't know how to save her, but I knew that I wanted to save her, and I knew that she was going to suffer under Vader and the Empire more if we didn't save her. I hoped that, being peaceful, trying to avoid a fight, was going to be a way to protect Thonna Ai'sunn, to save her, but I was wrong.

"But we do Zaliza, we do. I warned you on Nar Shaddaa to remain away from the Empire, I tried to save you...I'm sorry." Thonna spoke, her voice weak and tragic, almost remorseful. Perhaps I should have taken that as a warning, perhaps I would have if it was anyone but my former friend, but I didn't. The Third Sister ignited her double-bladed lightsaber and thrusted at me. I just barely managed to dodge it, falling on the ground in the process. I became acutely aware of the fact that I was out of practice at this moment, but, as I ignited my own lightsaber, purple blades coming to life, I felt the instincts flowing back towards me. I remembered every training and practice duel I had with Ullara Avdune, I remembered the time I had to fight for my life against a MagnaGuard while on a mission on Ryloth, and I remembered effortlessly cutting through battle droids in every battle of the Clone Wars. I may have been a Jedi, but, as a product of my circumstances, I was raised to fight, I was raised for war, and out of practice or not, I was ready to fight Thonna, even if I didn't want to.

"She's another Jedi, attack!" another clone shouted as I scrambled to my feet, lightsaber in hand.

"The Third Sister has her, focus on the other - " another clone responded before being cut off by Phanza's lightsaber. If there was any more conversation between the clones after that order and that death, I missed it, because I focused in on the Third Sister, who was charging me again. This time she swung at me, something which would have been a decapitation strike had my own weapon not caught it, and, for the first time, I actually became scared for Thonna. What if I was too late? What if the damage the Empire did to her already erased the light in her? No, that couldn't be the case. The fact that she took so long to actually attack me, the apologetic tone in her voice when she finally did, and what happened all the way back on Nar Shaddaa served as a reminder of the good left in her. I was going to fight, I was going to disarm Thonna, and I was going to help her through this, the reminder of her light motivated me to keep going. I stayed on the defensive for now, seeing Thonna come swinging up with her lower blade, and meeting it with my own, double-bladed lightsaber against double-bladed lightsaber.

The Third Sister twisted backwards and disengaged, changing tactics. This time she she swung for my legs, hoping to either cut me down by the legs or at least catch my robe, setting them on fire. Instead, I leapt over the swing, but fire did come as her blade cut through the dry shrubbery, the hot blade turning the natural plant life of this world into kindling. I came down on a clear patch of land behind the fire, seeing it between Thonna and I. I was in a kneeling position still, my fall a bit imperfect due to the uneven terrain, and that gave the Third Sister the opportunity to stay on the offensive. A Force push sent fire and embers at me in a hellish wave, a deadly and overwhelming attack that could have resulted in a horrifying death for me. I leapt back again as more shrubland was caught in flames, noting again that the Third Sister attack me with what very well could have been a fatal blow. It wasn't though, and I think that's what prompted my reaction, responding with my own Force push and showering Thonna in flame as well. The Third Sister was somewhat arrogant in response, standing dead still other than an arm she raised, using the Force to split the shower of flame to either side of her. It was an impressive display, but it wasn't perfect, because all it took was a single ember catching a piece of black cloth, part of her outfit. The whole hillside was now in flames, but, between all that, I could see Thonna's clothes catching on fire, the Inquisitor dropping to the floor, rolling in an attempt to put the fire out. All the attacks and maneuvers of this fight aside, I rushed over to the Twi'lek, needing to help her.

After seeing Force pushes cause all of this, perhaps it was ironic that I used a stronger Force push to extinguish the flames on her clothes, blowing them away. A smoking Thonna came to her feet and, while I wasn't sure what I was going to see, I was surprised to see that the burned away clothes just revealed plain black armor - no violet skin was going to peak through, no humanity - the Inquisitors would remain faceless instruments of the Empire regardless of how much damage we threw at them. The flames on her clothes were extinguished, seemingly without major damage - while she did drop and roll, Thonna didn't release any cries or screams or anything else indicative of having received major burns - but the fire was still raging all around us. That means that, the last thing I was expecting at this point, was for the fight to continue, but the Third Sister ignited her circular double-bladed lightsaber once more, and I was forced to follow suit. Once again, Thonna attacked aggressively, swinging with her upper blade, then her lower blade, the combined frenzy forcing me back. I scrambled past a low smoldering fire and escaped the burning part of the hill, some space between the Third Sister and I now.

The Inquisitor evidently took advantage of the space between us and activated a different function on her lightsaber. All of a sudden, on the ring hilt of the lightsaber, the blades rotated in a deadly spinning motion. The all consuming circle of death slowly approached me as Thonna's black boots crossed the black, smoldering patch of burned out shrubs, the actual fire still raging behind us, engulfing the side of the hill. Somewhere on the other side of that fire, Phanza was likely finishing up with the clones, too busy fighting to really notice what was going on between us, but I knew that she must have at least been aware of the fire. That being said, with a spinning double-bladed lightsaber coming ever closer, I didn't exactly have much time to think about Phanza and her situation. As the Third Sister finally got close enough, she actually stopped spinning her lightsaber and instead thrusted her lightsaber at me, trying to catch me off guard by changing tactics. I caught the thrust with the upper blade of my lightsaber, forcing it up, then, using the lower blade of my weapon, I swung it through the dirt, forcing it up at the Third Sister. Dirt and dust filled the air as I disengaged for a moment, retreating off the hill, not wanting to feel the weight of Thonna pushing down on me anymore. My plan did serve to distract the Third Sister, but only temporarily, as she positioned herself on top of a rock, staring down at me.

I was trying to escape the hillside, to escape Thonna bearing down on me for above, but instead, all I did was surrender any type of height, giving the Third Sister the complete advantage and letting her decide how to attack. Thonna just stood there for a moment, contemplating, but then I realized that was a ruse - because the Third Sister was preparing her lightsaber - my eyes widened as I realized what was happening. Thonna activated her lightsaber and made it spin again before throwing it, a deadly red disk coming at me. I closed my eyes and tapped into the Force, tapping into the limited precognition granted by my power, and, with it, I stuck my own lightsaber through the red ring, catching one of the blades. The hilt fell to the ground with a thud, deactivated and temporarily disarmed. I turned to Thonna and deactivated my own weapon, hoping that we could talk now, but, instead, the Third Sister leaped at me and attacked hand-to-hand. For the umpteenth time in this fight, I went on the defensive, blocking her punches and blows, shocked that she was going so far as to attack me with her bare hands. In what was, admittedly, a smooth maneuver, Thonna went into a low spinning kick, knocking me down with her leg while she simultaneously reached down and gathered her lightsaber back up. The Third Sister came over to me with her lightsaber ignited as I panted on the ground, quickly growing tired.

The Third Sister impaled the ground with my lightsaber while I rolled away, rolling on the ground on my side to get away. I was just abut ready to spin into a kneel and get back up when I hit a wall. I pulled myself up against it, shocked to realize I was already all the way back against the wall of the compound. Thonna was heading close to me, but behind her I could see the hillside in flames, I could see the wings of Thonna's vessel peeking out from above the wall of fire in between us, and I noticed that the sound of the speeders had completely faded away, Cenetta and Aela had already escaped. If nothing else, our mission was a success, but, considering how many times my former friend tried to kill me, with me just barely getting out of the way, this didn't exactly feel like much of a success. Knowing that, realizing that, I decided to plead with Thonna, to get through my old friend who still had to be there beneath all that fear and all that Imperial conditioning. I hate whatever it is that Palpatine did to her, but I loved the person who was there beneath it all, before it all, and I had to believe that there was something left in there. The fact that I'm still alive and that she showed remorse at the beginning of this was proof of that.

"Stop, please!" I begged, which actually made Thonna stop her advance for a moment, genuinely surprised "I don't want to fight you Thonna, I don't want to hurt you, please don't make me do this. You're my friend Thonna, you're the only one of the Jedi I knew that's still alive. It doesn't have to be this way."

"Zaliza...I don't have a choice. When that space station exploded the Empire dispatched me to investigate, suspecting that Jedi could have been involved. Palpatine and Vader don't send out Inquisitors lightly, I need to come back with something. You're here, I know you're the one that did it, and if I don't bring them proof of your death, I'll have to bring them something else. I love you Zaliza, but the alternative is killing innocents, slaughtering those separatists. I can't do that Zaliza. You know I can't do that...I don't have it in me Zaliza, not now...hopefully not ever."

"But you can kill me instead?" I asked, my voice low and scared. I heard the fear in Thonna's voice, I knew that she couldn't bring herself to kill innocents, and I knew that it meant that there was still light in her, but, on the other hand, with all the darkness around her, with the oppression of Vader and Palpatine coming down on her, she knew that she had to do terrible things. She was now a weapon of the Empire and she knew that she had to be wielded, but she was doing everything in her power to be the lesser of two evils, but right now, being the lesser of two evils meant killing me. I understood that Thonna didn't want to bring down the separatists, I didn't want them to get hurt either, not when they were innocent this time around, but I didn't want to die either. I didn't see why anyone had to die here, but maybe that was too idealistic of me, because...because if Thonna came back empty-handed, then she was going to be punished. Reprimanded, tortured, maybe even killed, I didn't know, but I knew that there wasn't an easy answer here. Thonna, out of fear for her own life and because of the knife the Empire had dangling over her throat, felt the need to find a culprit. Her choices were either me, the true culprit but her former friend, or punishing the separatist holdouts for a crime they didn't commit. It was a terrible, immoral choice and I could tell that the Twi'lek was struggling with it.

"Please...don't make this any harder than it has to be." I could almost hear that fact that Thonna was crying now, and, this time, I took it for the warning that it was. Thonna ignited her lightsaber once again and thrusted it to where I was, but I leapt over it, landing on top of the wall of the compound. My feet landed on the narrow wall as I struggled to catch my balance, almost falling backwards before catching my balance further forward. I ignited my lightsaber and used the Force to grab an antenna off a part of the wall, throwing it at Thonna. The Inquisitor cut it in half and then jumped onto the wall herself, taking a position to my right. I carefully turned around, putting one foot behind the other, and faced the Third Sister. The red lightsaber of the Inquisitor spun yet again, cutting up the wall in front of her as she came ever closer to us, the Twi'lek woman perfectly advancing, stepping into the gaps between the burning, orange cuts made by her weapon. Up against this coordinated advance, not having much room to move, and honestly scared of this weapon - the spinning was definitely more of a psychological tactic than an actual practical weapon, though clearly useful as well - I just backed away and tried to make a plan. I had to do something, but I didn't want to hurt Thonna either, though it seemed like the Third Sister was going to force me to do something dangerous.

I cried out and, instead of raising my lightsaber, I raised my hand and unleashed purple lightning on the Third Sister. Thonna was caught completely off-guard but, thanks to the way she was holding her lightsaber, she was quickly able to stop the spin and caught the lightning. The Twi'lek was not going to be electrocuted, not today anyway, but the force of the lightning did cause her to fall, and it was a rather painful fall too. First Thonna landed on the burned she created over the wall, and, having either run out of fire protection on her clothing from earlier, or simply a result of the flexible armor on her Lekku not protecting as much, Thonna cried out in pain. It was a horrible sound to hear, but it was even worse because she then fell off the wall and onto the metal ground of the Imperial compound, falling face first. I climbed off the wall and rushed over to check she was okay, for the second time this fight no less, but it seemed she didn't need any help. As soon as I made it over, Thonna rolled over onto her back and activated her lightsaber, but I wasn't going to let her take the offensive yet again.

I wanted to end this and, to that effect, I activated the upper blade of my lightsaber before the Third Sister could even get up, and I brought it down on her weapon. The Inquisitor laid flat on the ground, holding her lightsaber up to defend herself as I battered her with my own weapon. I was keeping her down, but I wasn't disarming her, so, as I continued putting the pressure on her, I thought of a new plan to end this fight. She threw her lightsaber at me earlier and I managed to catch the spinning blades to defend myself, but, if I managed to catch the ring instead, I could have actually destroyed her weapon and permanently disarmed her, and, right now, I had another opportunity to do just that. I raised my lightsaber again, making it seem like I was going to bring it down on her blade again to keep her down, but, instead, I swung at her hilt, cutting it clean in two and matching as her blades fizzled away, deactivated. I switched positions really quickly and, then, I was aiming my purple blade right at her throat. The message was clear: she had to surrender.

"Fine, fine, you win. You'll get away and they'll kill me, and that'll be it." Thonna cried, retracting her mask, revealing the face of the hurt, scared young girl beneath the featureless black mask of an Inquisitor. I remembered the lonely girl in the Jedi Temple cafeteria, I remembered talking to her while our ships were refueling, and I remembered Thonna sitting there, caring for me after I passed out on the Dxun mission. She was my fellow Padawan, my friend, and, not very long ago, we were both Jedi. Now look what's happened to us, she was an Inquisitor, forced to work for Palpatine and Vader, while I was traveling with Sith and using Force Lightning, by choice even. Look how far the Jedi have fallen, and look at the fact neither of us are trying to fix things. Instead, we're swinging at each other, burning each other, even being so petty as to punch each other, despite the fact that we were both living Jedi in the galaxy after Order 66. Burden or not, being ready or not, being capable or not, I knew that this isn't what Master Avdune would have wanted of me.

"They won't kill you. We can protect you. We can take you to a planet the Empire doesn't even know about and we can rebuild the Jedi, rebuild our friendship. It doesn't have to be this way Thonna, we both know that." I pleaded, kneeling down next to the purple-skinned Twi'lek and trying to fix things, to really make things better. The two of us could go to Taaszon, and, while it wasn't perfect, it was at least safe, and it could serve as a place where we could start rebuilding the Jedi, even if it wasn't going to be a permanent home. I couldn't think of a better way to heal than rebuilding the Jedi, for both of us, that is. Thonna could avenge whatever crimes she did for the Empire and she could work off the guilt by teaching the next generation of Jedi, the generation who will return to Coruscant and take Palpatine down. While, by finally becoming a Jedi Knight, a Jedi Master, even the de facto leader of the new Jedi Order, I could avenge my master. I would make sure that Ullara was proud of me, and that her sacrifice was not for nothing. It was a perfect dream in my mind, the perfect future for both Thonna and I, rebuilding and healing, but that's all it was, really, just a perfect dream.

"Can you bring back all the people I had to kill? Can you erase the horrible memories I have? Of things I've done, things I've seen, and things that have been done to me?" Thonna asked, her question hitting me right in the heart, showing me just how much my friend has suffered. For all my dreams of saving Thonna and us rebuilding the Jedi, I never really considered what the Imperials must have done to her to turn her into the Third Sister. Thinking about it now, for real, the unspeakable things they did to her...I wasn't sure if anyone really healed from that. My silence, apparently, was deafening to my Twi'lek friend, who now sat up and looked down at her destroyed clothes and lightsaber. I sat down with her, in the ruins of this Imperial base on a planet neither of us had any business being on, and realized I really didn't have any answers. Thonna then spoke again "I didn't think so. Zaliza...this isn't something we can fix. The Empire demands results from me, and, the only way both of us survive this is if I bring the heads of all the separatist leaders to Palpatine. We both know that can't happen. Only one of us is going to leave this planet alive, and if I can't beat you, then...then you're going to need to kill me."

"What? No! No Thonna! I can't!" I cried out, appalled by even the idea of doing that. I'm not going to kill my friend. I've fought her. thrown fire at her, and shot lightning at her, but I never wanted to hurt her in this fight, let alone kill her. I especially couldn't do that now, when she was defenseless and crying in front of me. That absolutely is not the Jedi way! Nor is it my way! I don't know if I'm a Jedi or not, I don't even know what alternatives there really are, but, whatever I am, I know I'm not somebody who executes the weak and defenseless.

"It's the only way Zaliza...and besides, I would rather you do it than the Imperials. I know you'll make it quick, and I know you won't enjoy it either. I can't say the same about Palpatine, Vader, or the other Inquisitors." Thonna revealed just how terrible her situation was. If she returned empty-handed, not only was she going to be tortured and perhaps killed, but it was going to be slow, painful, and it would be her own companions doing it. Her new masters and her fellow Inquisitors were going to be the ones to punish her, and the worst part is they were going to enjoy it, to relish it. I couldn't kill Thonna, I knew that, but I absolutely couldn't let that happen either. I looked down at myself, and I thought about the price of what I was about to do. I suppose my head was a price too big to pay, after all, the idea was for both of us to survive this, but a finger? Maybe even my whole hand? For the both of us to survive...that was a price I was willing to pay. Now I just had to make sure this incredibly stupid idea of mine was actually going to work.

"What...what is it that you need to present to Palpatine as proof of my death?" I asked, voicing the lunacy of my plan. I saw Thonna's eyes widen as she realized what I just asked, though she did answer the question.

"I need to present them your lightsaber. They know that no Jedi would part with it." Thonna said, and I felt my shoulders slump. It may seem ridiculous that, after being willing to cut my own hand off to make this work, I'm sad to hear that all I need to do is give up my lightsaber, but it isn't that simple. Like Thonna said, no Jedi would part with their lightsaber, that's because it really is an extension of ourselves. This lightsaber, I built it myself, I found the purple crystal deep in the caves of Ilum, and I remember being so happy to find a unique color when all my fellow younglings came back with green or blue crystals. I thought that made me unique, and I thought that my choice to make a double-bladed lightsaber made me unique as well. I can feel the crystal in the Force, and, on one hand, yes, it is just an object, but, on the other hand, it's an object I can feel, can sense, and that I am connected to. It's both tied to me and it symbolizes who I am, a reflection of myself, and now I have to give it up. It's a depressing thought, but not as depressing as the idea of losing Thonna or letting her loose on the separatist holdouts we just helped. I hated doing this, but it was the right thing to do and the best option we had right now.

"Fine, take it then. Take this too." I handed over my lightsaber and, as if that wasn't enough, I pulled out my Padawan braid. The slim silver and purple chain put into my hair by Master Avdune to symbolize my tutelage under her, I gave that to Thonna too. The combination of the lightsaber and the Padawan braid would kill two birds with one stone: it would give Thonna a culprit to blame all this on, fulfilling her mission, and it also gave the Empire proof of my death. This would perhaps give me more freedom out there in the rest of the galaxy. This would, hopefully, also save the Loukhamii separatists, who were innocent of the space station attack, and it would also conceal Taaszon's involvement. Instead, the Empire could think this was the action of a lone Jedi who was hunted down and killed. At least, that's assuming they haven't somehow figured out I fled to Taaszon, though I doubted that - if they knew the Grand Duchy was harboring at least one Jedi, I think Palpatine would have already sent the Empire there - the last thing the Empire wants are their enemies banding together.

"Okay...okay. I think this can work." the Third Sister sighed as I helped her up. The Twi'lek and I looked each other up and down, our tattered, burned, and charred clothes, our sweaty, scared faces, and our exhausted, trembling bodies. We stood there in silence for a moment, other than the panting breath of both of us trying to recover from the fight, but then Thonna hugged me, wrapping her arms around me. I felt the Twi'lek's tears flowing down my shoulder as she spoke again "We can't keep doing this Zaliza. The more you try to fight the Empire, the more it draws Palpatine's attention. They sent me here without any proof that a Jedi was even involved, that means something. Now, after this, if they see you...they're going to question me. Stop trying to fight the Empire, it's not going to work. Just...just promise me that you're going to hide and that you're going to live. You're alive and you're free, don't squander this by getting yourself killed."

"Thonna...you know I can't promise that. I can't just sit idly by and see the galaxy suffer like this. I have to try and do what little I can, but, don't worry, I'll wear disguises and be careful. The last thing I want is for my actions to hurt you." I told Thonna, trying to come with a compromise that would work for both of us, but it was hard. The problem really is that Thonna doesn't have any hope, she sees resistance to the Empire as futile, and, so long as she has that view, she is never going to recover from the damage and the trauma that the Empire did to her. There isn't an easy answer to this, but I believe that, at least part of the answer, is hope. So I am going to keep fighting, and I hope that, sooner rather than later, my resistance, and the work of the Grand Duchy of Taaszon, will convince Thonna that there is a way. In the meantime though, I would make sure that my actions don't get her hurt or killed.

"Please...just don't die...and don't make me kill either, not you, and not anyone else." Thonna begged, not wanting our paths to cross again, not wanting to find a way out of a difficult choice like this again. I wouldn't have a second chance to give up a lightsaber and a Padawan braid, if we're going to meet again, either one of us will have to die, or someone else will need to be massacred to take the blame. Phanza and I will need to be careful then, because the Emperor is apparently getting more and more suspicious of any attacks on the Empire, to the point that he's sending out Inquisitors on just the possibility of Jedi being involved. The message is clear: Palpatine is trying to crush any resistance to him. There are two options at this point: Thonna's idea, which is to give up, hide, and try to survive, is exactly what Palpatine wants, for us to passively wait while he hunts us down and has us all killed. The Empire wants to eradicate the Jedi, they're not just going to let the retired, harmless ones live. The other option, then, is to resist, to show Palpatine that the galaxy won't just fall into his hands, and to make every little action difficult for the Empire. The bright side of all this is, so long as we don't make it blatantly obvious that Taaszon attacked, Palpatine will suspect surviving Jedi.

"I won't." I promised. Thonna and I disconnected from each other at this point and turned to see Phanza entering the compound through the entrance, curved-hilt lightsaber currently ignited, but she deactivated it once she saw that we weren't fighting. Seeing that the situation was peaceful, Phanza walked over to us, the Nautolan once again following my lead on the Thonna Ai'sunn situation. She knew that the Twi'lek girl was important to me, she was my best friend in the Jedi Order, and, now that she was alive, I wanted to do everything in my power to protect us.

"Well, my armor and lightsaber is destroyed, the clones are dead, and I have your lightsaber and your Padawan braid. The other Inquisitors should take this as a major fight against a Jedi, one I just barely won. I think I can cover for you both this time, but you need to be careful in the future. I won't be able to lie forever without them noticing, and you, you aren't a Jedi. I don't even know what would happen if the Empire finds out about you. Be careful!" Thonna chastised us before sliding her mask back out, falling back into the role of the Third Sister, and jumping over the wall to return to her ship. Phanza, having just been warned about what would happen if a clone survives or if a different Inquisitor survives to tell the Empire about her. Vader isn't an idiot, he's already suspicious of Zapnha Tamat from our encounter on Nar Shaddaa, seeing the lightsaber especially. If he hears about another red-skinned Nautolan with the same lightsaber fighting the Empire...the Star Cluster casino will only be the first of his targets. We really do need to be more careful at this point. It doesn't matter if we're not leaving witnesses, we need to wear disguises on these missions, it doesn't matter if we're among allies, we can't keep leaving our real names all over the place, and it doesn't matter how many types of ship there are in this galaxy, we can't have the _Ultimate_ being seen at every world we visit. We've been sloppy and complacent, now we need to correct this.

"Well, I suppose we should get back to the capital." Phanza sighed, we did our job and provided a distraction and, even though the Imperial response wasn't quite what we expected, we weathered that too. Now, I rather just get off this planet entirely. Too many near-death experiences, too many emotions, and too many clones were lying dead in either this compound of on that still burning hill in the distance.

* * *

"The _Ultimate_ is repaired and ready to fly. The separatists didn't do a perfect job, lacking some of the materials and not exactly using the same precision equipment we have, but it'll get us back to Taaszon without a problem." Ceyla filled us in on the situation as we walked to our hangar, the two Mandalorians had evidently given the ship a once-over before we got back here. The four turned a corner and were about to enter the hangar when we saw Senator Cenetta and Aela standing there, the blue-skinned Twi'lek and the green-skinned Togruta holding hands. They were still an unlikely pair, but, they found love in this galaxy, and I suppose that counts for something, even amongst all the war, deception, betrayal, and oppression that has fined this era of galactic history.

"For now we've added the droids to our patrols and defense forces in the city. I suppose we should thank you for your help...and I suppose we should apologize for not being entirely honest with you." Cenetta acknowledged, trying to make peace.

"Well...I do suppose Aela did save us, and you did fix our ship. That's worth something." Phanza admitted as well, the two of them making peace. Aela smiled as well, the eccentric pilot ended up being happy with how all of this turned out.

"If you ever find yourself in the Loukhamii system again, we would be willing to help." Senator Cenetta added before the two of them left. We accepted their offer, but, honestly, I hoped we didn't have to use it. I didn't want to come back to Loukhamii after what happened today. Without much more to say, Phanza opened the hangar and we all boarded our ship again, ready to go home. Our mission here was a success, I suppose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ciao!


	20. Rise of The Apprentice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Here is chapter twenty! As mentioned, Act two will continue to chapter twenty-five.

Act II.

The Heart of Darkness.

Chapter XX.

Rise of The Apprentice.

* * *

"So, like...how does it feel to be legally dead?" Yevenna asked, I kinda cringed at the bluntness of the question, but, on the other hand, I was grateful that the Mirialan Mandalorian was actually here, was actually making an effort to talk to me about this. I had asked Phanza to give me space once we left Loukhamii, and, to her credit, the Nautolan had respected my boundaries, though...now, I'm not so sure it's what I wanted. I gave up my lightsaber and my Padawan braid because it was the right thing to do, allowing Thonna to complete her mission, but I can't help but think what Ullara would think. She was my master, she was my friend, and, perhaps, had things been different, she could have been more, but...but she's dead. Now, I've given up my braid and my lightsaber, some of my last tangible connections to her, as well as to the Jedi. I know it was the right thing to do, and I know that the Jedi aren't supposed to take possessions so seriously, but they were important, if for nothing else than my connection to my late master. That mattered, to me anyway.

"I don't know Yevenna...I'm glad that Vader and Palpatine aren't going to punish Thonna. I'm also glad that Cenetta, Aela, and all those other separatists aren't going to be killed either, but...it feels like I shouldn't have done all that. Strictly speaking, I didn't have to give up the braid at all, I only did that to make sure that Thonna was absolutely safe." I confided in my friend, giving her some more of the context, explaining what was on the line. If both of us came out alive, the separatists would have to be blamed and punished for the crime, if not, then Thonna would be punished, tortured, and further corrupted. I can see that it pains Thonna to be the Third Sister, I know that there is still light in her, but I can also see that she is vulnerable now. What happens to her and she fails? What happens if Vader and Palpatine decide she needs more torturing, corrupting, and conditioning to be an Inquisitor? I fear that, if that happens...Thonna Ai'sunn may actually be lost forever. That's not to say that she isn't strong, she is, but she is also alone, surrounded by some of the most evil men in the galaxy, and her comrades are already corrupted to the Dark Side. Those would be impossible circumstances for anyone.

"I'm sorry Zaliza, if there was anything I could do, I would do it, you know that, right? Right, well...what about your lightsaber? I know your braid is important to you, it's Jedi stuff, but...your lightsaber was your main weapon. Not to mention that's it's Jedi stuff too. That has to count for something, right?" Yevenna rambled again, but there was a reason behind it, well, multiple reasons I suppose. The first part was about trying to reassure me, albeit mixed with some concerning self-doubt and hopelessness from the Mirialan. The second bit was about asking about my lightsaber, which, as Thonna mentioned, is a combination of both the fact that my old double-bladed lightsaber really was my main weapon - well, other than the Force anyway - and it had Jedi significance too. Obviously so, after all, the iconic image of a robed Jedi Knight with his or her lightsaber is - was - known the galaxy over, a symbol of hope and light even in the darkest and most desolate of circumstances. At least, that's what the Jedi should have been, could have been.

"No, no, you're right. My lightsaber is a big loss too, but, my braid was important. I don't want to sound reckless, but I can replace my lightsaber, it might not be exactly the same, but it will be functional, I can't replace the braid, I can't replace the meaning there. I know I didn't mention it once, but I never took that braid out, it was a symbol of me being Ullara's Padawan, and, now that I've given it away, it feels like I've severed a connection to my master." I explained, trying to convey the importance of such an object to the Mandalorian, but I saw that she still didn't quite understand, so I tried changing tactics "The emblem on your pauldron, the Star Forge, that was given to you by Ceyla, right? Well...imagine if you had to give up that pauldron and all it means. Someone took us hostage and would only accept beskar as payment, whatever scenario it is, imagine you had to give that up. That's how I feel right now."

"I'm sorry Zaliza...I couldn't imagine cutting myself off from my mentor like that. I...I don't know what to - ah, screw it." for once, Yevenna ran out of words and, instead, she just decided to comfort me, trying to get me through this. I appreciated the gesture, even with the feeling of hard armor pressed against these relatively thin robes, but it couldn't just go on like this forever. I couldn't just be comforted and told it's alright over and over and over again. I appreciated everything that Phanza and Yevenna have done for me, but, sooner rather than later, I'm going to need to see results, to see a change, because I can't just keep going on like this. I don't know if that change is a decisive victory against the Empire, a way to pry Thonna out of the grasp of the Inquisitorious, or maybe just, somehow, finding surviving Jedi untouched by the Empire, but I needed something. Something to give me some purpose or clarity in this new galactic order. I couldn't just remain in this tense, melancholic vagueness, caught somewhere between the Jedi and the Sith of Taaszon, in theory resisting the Empire, but, in practice, nothing really happening. This really did need to change.

* * *

As we landed on Taaszon, back at Castle Attam, Phanza took me aside to speak with her.

"There is something I need to meet with Grand Duchess Voytana about, but, after that, there is a place I want to take you. Please, take the chance to rest and relax, and after that, we're heading out, just you and I." Phanza explained, the Nautolan evidently having come to some sort of decision. I wasn't sure what exactly that decision was, but we were going somewhere, just the two of us. Lady Attam was also going to meet with Voytana before that, and I didn't know exactly what that was about - perhaps just a debrief about our mission over Loukhamii - but I didn't really care either. I was grateful for the chance to rest, which might seem contradictory to what I just said about needing a real change in my life, but I was tired. I wanted a shift in activity and for something important to happen, but that didn't mean that I couldn't rest in the meantime. Even during the Clone Wars, the most active period of my life, there were lulls, there were little breaks, and, back then, they were much appreciated. The problem. I suppose, isn't inactivity itself, it's too much inactivity.

"Yes, of course." I numbly nodded and agreed, accepting this. I headed off to my room afterwards, feeling my bones ache and the fatigue set in, the combined strain of the Cipher-9 mission, the space station job, and the fights on Loukhamii finally setting in. There were days where I did just as much during the Clone Wars, if not more, so there is an argument that could be made about me being out of practice, but those days were always hard. Dropping and rolling here, trying to dodge but still getting grazed by a blaster bolt there, getting knocked over by explosions - those can a toll on a person, and no amount of practice can change that - so, while I may not be quite as physically fit as I was, I can't see a scenario where I wouldn't be tired after everything that transpired these last few days.

Thus, I finally returned to my room. I still felt a certain amount of guilt over these conditions, thinking that it was wrong for me, as a Jedi, a former Jedi, a surviving Jedi, or whatever it is that I am now, to live in such luxury, but...I have to say, I've gotten used to these conditions. There were times were I got to rest during this extended series of missions, including a period in which I was knocked unconscious, but resting in a moving ship or especially sitting out cold in a destroyed ship lurching through space, did not compare to sleeping in my proper bed. I took off my belt - the garment feeling much lighter without the familiar weight of my lightsaber on it - and started taking off the rest of my clothes as R9 riddled off a series of concerned beeps. The droid, who hadn't seen me since Phanza and I left for Cipher-9 - I didn't visit him when we briefly returned to get the explosives - wanted to know if I was okay and what happened, and, being an observant little droid, he also questioned my lack of lightsaber.

"Hey, hey," I patted my hand on top of his red and purple dome, calming the astromech down "It's okay. Phanza, Yevenna, Ceyla, and I are all fine, I'm just tired. Look, I gave up my lightsaber and my braid to Thonna to keep her safe. I can explain more later, can you just let me rest for now? I only have so much time before Phanza and I have to go out and do something again."

The droid accepted, some slightly disappointed beeps indicating he would prefer to know now, but the droid was willing to acquiesce and give me space. With that, I laid back on my bed, reduced to just my undergarments, and tried to relax. I even managed to catch a bit of a nap, enjoying the slight ambient noises of the room. Outside, a gentle snow was falling, the mountain snow beginning to accumulate at my mountain window, around me, the gentle hum of the disk shaped servant droids signaled them coming and going as they kept Castle Attam spotless, and, in the corner of my room, R9-W3 quietly did some diagnostics. It was a peaceful moment, something which helped me relief some stress and exhaustion from the previous mission, while, simultaneously, the knowledge that Phanza and I would be doing something together kept me focused enough to avoid any dangerous thoughts creeping in. It was an entirely peaceful circumstance, and, that, of course, meant that I soon heard the pattering of metal footsteps. First soft in the distance, but getting louder as they got close, and, all of a sudden, I knew my rest was over. What I wasn't expecting though, was for HK-107 to open my door and enter the room before speaking.

"Exclamation: Greetings meatbag! Lady Attam requests your presence at the summit exit. Recommendation: You should get dressed. Meatbags function poorly in the cold, a product of your primitive evolution. It would be wise to put on a set or protective heavy robes. Meteorological Statement: The weather is cold and precipitating, with all models showing this will continue into the night." I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to cover the fact that I only really had a bra over my torso, but it didn't seem to affect HK in the slightest. The assassin droid riddled off his speech in his odd and condescending mannerisms before turning and leaving, just as abruptly as he came. I sighed and used the door to shut the door behind him before getting up and getting dressed. It was one thing for R9 to see me in this state, he was an ordinary astromech, it was another thing when it was a walking, talking bipedal droid. I know that it's an arbitrary distinction, but, as a more valid point, R9 is also not a droid whose very initials stand for Hunter-Killer.

I found a thicker set of robes, insulated and protective for the weather. Obviously, these robes covered the whole body - which was typical of me, I still haven't worn any of the skimpier outfits Phanza provided me with, though my closet remained stocked with them, and not only that, they seemed to be pressed and washed regularly, even though I haven't been wearing them - and protected against the elements. These robes were predominantly black, with a few sections of purple fabric, mainly serving for color break up. The hood itself was heavy and black, with a thicker purple edge at the front to protect against the wind. Now properly dressed, I headed up to meet Phanza. I took the elevator to the floor that was, helpfully, labeled summit exit, coming out in a new part of the palace. I have explored this place a fair bit by now, though I haven't been to the summit yet, for reasons that will become evident shortly.

"Sorry about sending HK, I know he has...an air for the dramatic, but I had to change once I was out of the meeting." Phanza quickly apologized, the Nautolan herself was dressed in a similar set of robes as me, albeit with two differences. The first difference was simply color, as her robes were almost entirely black, with only a handful of pinstripes to break up the color, and those pinstripes were pink of all colors. It was a new choice for Phanza though, as always, it worked for her...it seems anything she wears works for her. The other difference is that, as usual, Phanza had her tattooed head-tails resting over her shoulder, though, with it being cold and snowy, she put these covers over them. I understood that they were there to insulate the sensitive features of her biology, but I couldn't help but think that she found these four little black and pink "socks" for her Lekku that just went great with the outfit. In any case, if I was showing any signs of amusement, Phanza didn't react, merely opening the door and letting us both out.

The summit exit revealed to be a very accurate name, as we emerged behind the palace on the mountains over the capital valley. The snow was falling somewhat more heavily now, though, given that the storm was really just starting, the path was still clear. This helped spell out why Phanza didn't just get dressed then get me - it seems that time is of the essence - thus, Phanza and I carried on, moving away from the capital valley, heading somewhere in the mountains of Taaszon. The sound dampening of the palace was revealed to be rather great as the soft sounds of my bedroom a mere twenty minutes earlier were in massive contrast to these howling mountain winds, which served to accelerate the falling snow. I turned back to the valley for a moment, glancing to see that there was still quite a bit of visible green down in the capital city itself - I had a feeling that it would disappear pretty quickly - though, obviously, things would be worse up here in the mountains. Nevertheless, despite the snowstorm breaking out in front of us, Phanza and I pushed on, leading to me asking a much needed question.

"Where are we going anyway?" I asked, raising an arm to help cover my face, blocking out some of wind and snow coming my way. I wasn't quite sure if this was classified as a blizzard quite yet, but it definitely seemed to be getting into that territory as it intensifies - it's definitely stronger now than it was from the view I had in my bedroom - and, while I didn't want to doubt Phanza's judgement, these conditions made me wonder if this mission was strictly necessary. The fact that we were remaining on the planet, and heading out in the wild mountains on top of that, suggested that this wasn't some grand strategic move or anything, so I had to wonder why we were doing it now of all times. Could this not wait until after the storm?

"There is an ancient forge nearby. When the Sith came to this planet, they built a lightsaber forge up here in the mountains, and, in the cave networks beneath the forge, they reburied ten thousand crystals they gathered in previous Sith Imperial raids on Ilum. The only problem is, a stretch of the path there is steep, and, once Taaszon moves into its winter cycle, it's often impossible to get the forge for months. Strictly speaking, we're already out of the recommended season." Phanza explained, making me see why this was so important now. I had mentioned building a new lightsaber in passing, but I hadn't really thought about doing it, certainly not immediately, yet, here I am, circumstances forcing my hand. It seems to have forced Phanza's hand as well, as the Nautolan doesn't seem particularly thrilled about this mission either, but the problem is...neither of us had planned on my losing my lightsaber like this. Part of me wanted to suggest bringing the _Ultimate_ instead and just landing near the forge, but...jagged mountains, snow storms, and relatively large craft don't mix all that well.

"Right...I take it this is the steep bit?" I asked, as we rounded a corner in the mountain pass to reveal a steep, semi-curved narrow passage further up the mountain. Really, it was only traversable because of the stairs cut into it, and, once too much snow falls onto it...you'd have more luck trying to slide down than come up. I could certainly see why Phanza decided it was now or never...honestly, it might be fairly treacherous coming down once it gets darker and a bit more snow accumulates. For now though, it was fine - just a bit exhausting, but that was kinda unavoidable with a steep staircase in the middle of the mountains where the air is thin - and, as I finally reached the top, I looked up to the sky. White-gray clouds were over the planet, but, despite that, I feel like I could still almost pinpoint the thin disk of the rings of Taaszon in the sky, leaving an impression even through this raging snow shower.

The next phase of the journey was relatively easy, though it was getting colder as we headed deeper into the mountains, and the path still angled upwards. Turning back, I could still see that the top of Castle Attam was towering over us, but we were getting closer and closer to that level of height, which made one thing clear - while Castle Attam was perched on the highest point above the valley, it was not the highest point in the mountains overall - while, beyond that, the Citadel itself was still impossibly tall - I would say that it's safe to assume the top of the citadel is the highest point on Taaszon, man-made or otherwise. Phanza and I continued on this path until, finally, we reached the top of a particular mountain, now some distance away from the valley. The Nautolan and I lined up next to each other at the top, stopping for a moment, and seeing the Forge itself in front of us. The ancient structure, meant for building lightsaber, sat on top of a rounded mountain, surrounded by a corona of peaks sheltering it. This path, along with a number of other mountain paths, descended down into a depression around the Forge's hill, and, in this depression, the entrances to the caves revealed themselves.

"I don't know what you'll see down there or what you'll decide to built, but, whatever it is, this should be sufficient." Phanza told me, her breath showing in the mountain air, as she handed me a block of durasteel, an emitter, and a transparent purple disk of glass - presumably to use as a focusing crystal - everything I would need to build a lightsaber of my own. All that I needed now was the crystal itself, and that was mine to find. I accepted the materials and was about to head down when Phanza stopped me "You should know by now that such caves are strong with the Force, imbued with the energy of the crystals and the lingering energies of those who have been here before. Be careful."

"I know, I will." I thanked Phanza for her advice and proceeded down, remembering my experiences on Ilum. I went in with a group of fellow younglings, as was tradition, but, as was also tradition, we became lost and separated on the journey. Each one of us was tasked with finding a crystal of our own, and each one of us had to face challenges and trials in the process. I remember being unable to find a crystal that connected with me. Looking back on it, I'm sure I passed a thousand blue and green crystals, but none of them called out to me in the Force, and, on Ilum, a planet where the Force is so strong, the wrong crystal might as well be invisible. Thus, I found myself going deeper and deeper, getting lost in the darkness of the cave, becoming increasingly overwhelmed by the coldness, and becoming completely disconnected from my group. I almost thought that I was going to die down there, cold and alone, but then, through the darkness, I saw a purple light. I found the a large purple crystal lighting the cave, and it saved me. The machinations of the Force revealed themselves because, once I had the crystal, it turned out that I was never really lost at all, nor was I really that deep in the caves. It felt like it took hours to get where my crystal was, but then...turning around and coming back out took only ten minutes. Such is the way of Ilum.

These crystals here on Taaszon, being stolen from Ilum on ancient Sith raids, would likely have a similar effect. They may be in a different place, but these crystals were just as strong in the Force, and they have been here for a long, long time. The walls may be dark rock rather than solid ice, but, coming out of the snow and the wind, it still felt somewhat similar to the distant ice planet that the Jedi used for our crystals. I also fought that it was interesting that Taaszon had this feature, as I was led to believe that the Sith usually used artificial crystals - and the strange black core of Phanza's crystal made me believe that it too was artificial - but perhaps that was not always true, or perhaps this was merely a reserve for the Sith in case their crystal foundries failed. I wasn't sure, but, whatever the reason was, I was grateful to have an experience as close to Ilum as possible in which to find my new crystal, thus, I headed deeper into the cave.

The interesting thing is, even after I was well out of natural light, the cave never turned pitch black, always lit by something, even when there was clearly, logically no light source. Perhaps this was another machination of the Force, or perhaps this was a subtle left over of the Ilum crystals lining this cave - the wrong ones were still invisible to me, even if they weren't on Ilum anymore - meaning that I would have to hunt for the one that was really mine. Thus, I continued deeper into the cave, eventually coming to a crossroads, and stopping for a moment to make a decision. One of the two paths continued relatively straight, though angled a bit upwards, perhaps closer to the Forge, the other path, meanwhile, curved to the left and down, somewhere deeper into the cave. I thought about what I should do, moving up and hopefully finding my crystal while emerging out into the light of the outside by the Force, or heading deeper into the dark and unknown cave. I decided to head straight, hoping that I could take the easy way for once, but, of course, it couldn't.

The moment I took a step toward the upper path, the rocky, dusty cave ground was revealed to somehow be incredibly slippery, thus, I slipped and fell towards the bottom path, tumbling down. I scrambled to my feet, making sure the sash of lightsaber materials was fine, before continuing down the lower path, deciding not to tempt faith again. The ground down here was normal again, not slippery, further confirming my suspicions that this was intervention by the Force, fate pushing me down this path. So much for Phanza's theories about the Force being a benign and controllable force. Thus, I followed the curve, seeing that it didn't just curve left, rather, it continued down and came all the way around, taking me to an open chamber directly below the crossroads where I had just been. I checked for alternative paths out of here, yet all my options seemed to be buried in the shadows, engulfed in darkness. The strange and ambient lighting of this cave, meanwhile, was centered on the very middle of this chamber. Taking the hint, I sat down in the illuminated spot, reaching out in the Force and meditating.

" _Hello Zaliza...it's been a long time._ " I opened my eyes and turned to see a glowing, semi-transparent Ullara standing there, the Mirialan appearing in front of me. I must have been standing there like an idiot, mouth agape, because the vision of my master spoke again " _I must apologize, after my sacrifice, I became one with the Force. I've been able to watch you, to see you alive and well, and to see you fighting for what you believe in, but I haven't been able to contact you. Even here, a cave imbued with the Force, I cannot sustain my presence here for long. I am so, so sorry for that. It hurts me to see your pain, it hurts me to see you having to struggle in the galaxy without a master, and it hurts me to see what's happened to Thonna as well."_

"Master...I...I can't believe this." I cried, barely able to contain myself or heed her words. I wanted to hug her, to wrap my arms around her, to feel my master again, but I knew that this was just a vision, she had no physical form, and no way of really interacting with me, beyond simply words. There may be ways to prolong your lifespan through the Force or to siphon the power of spirits, but both of those are forbidden tactics, tools of the Dark Side, and, even without that taboo, I couldn't imagine Ullara doing any of that. Master Avdune wouldn't fight fate like that, and she especially wouldn't leech off of others to stay alive, thus, these ways to cheat death or tap into the power of spirits means nothing to us right now. Ullara isn't going to come back, she isn't going to be rendered solid in any way, but, at very least, she is here now, and perhaps I can get some closure out of this.

" _It's okay, my Padawan, you can cry. I miss you too. I wish things could have been different, but I'm just grateful that you're alive, and that you're safe. That is all I want, I don't want you to worry about honoring my sacrifice or holding on to your attachment to me. You being alive is enough, believe me."_ Ullara replied, reassuring me, telling me to stop worrying about rebuilding the Jedi or keeping mementos of our time together. That is not to say that Ullara wants me to abandon hopes of rebuilding the Jedi - in fact, I think she would want me to do that - but, she would want me to do that for the right reasons. Ullara doesn't want me to rebuild the Jedi just because of her, if I am going to rebuild them, she wants me to do it because I believe in it and I want to do it. In practice, this doesn't really change anything, as I haven't made progress towards rebuilding the Jedi either way, but, to me, it still served as a massive relief. I feel like, finally hearing this from Ullara, or at least her spirit, lifted this great burden off of my shoulders, for real this time.

"Am I really safe though?" I'm not sure why exactly I asked that, whether I was simply looking for validation from my former master, or if I was hoping that her being one with the Force could provide me with some sort of omniscient answer. Regardless of why exactly I asked that question, I could absolutely see Ullara's expression shift, the Mirialan thinking before she spoke. It was, admittedly, a loaded question. The fact is, Ullara has been watching me since she sacrificed herself, watching my actions, and she knows that I've become very close to Phanza Attam, therefore, I'm not sure if Master Avdune wants to take that away from me. I don't think Ullara likes Phanza, but I think that, more than that, she believes that me being with Phanza makes me a lot more happy and stable than I otherwise would be, so Ullara can't speak against this either. I'm sure Ullara was struggling with this question as well, but she finally gave me an answer.

" _Look..I won't pretend that I fully trust Phanza, not the way that you do anyway. I am concerned that she is manipulative, that she is amplifying your less virtuous tendencies, and that she presents a particular version of herself to you, but, at the same time, I believe that she genuinely cares for you. I could argue that she cares about you because of her own self-interests, trying to shape you into a potential apprentice, but, the point remains, she does care for you and she is keeping you safe. I will also say that, in her tender moments with you, in the times that she has listened to your subtle attempts to soften her darker tendencies, and in the way she houses you and takes care of you, I see more depth and more humanity than I perhaps expected from her. In short, yes, I believe you're safe with Phanza."_ Ullara explained, my former Master clearly had plenty to say about Lady Attam, but the end result was, fundamentally, positive. Ullara seemed to currently be going through the same period of uncertainty and mistrust with Phanza that I went through earlier. I was worried about some of the things that the Sith Lord did before, but I came around, and, maybe, one day, Ullara's spirit will come around too.

"Okay, okay, thank you. I appreciate your judgement, Master." I thanked her, grateful that I have spoken to her about this, and just as grateful that it seems like I now have Ullara's blessing for this. I feel like I can be with Phanza, that I can follow her, and that I can fight alongside her, without the lingering worries that I'm doing the wrong thing. I feel that, now, I can finally fully and completely trust Phanza. That was an incredible relief, but there was one last bit of awkward tension between Ullara and I, one more thing I needed before I could really get closure. I took a deep breath for courage before asking "Thank you for everything, Master Avdune, but I must admit I have one more question. The kiss...what was that?"

" _Right_..." Ullara sighed, the spirit took this issue heavily. I took another deep breath, if Ullara was bracing herself for this explanation, then I should too. Finally, she began " _I'm sorry about that Zaliza, I shouldn't have done that. I apologize for that, I was attracted to you, I knew that I was going to die, and I wanted to act on it before...before what happened to me. I suppose that, in the adrenaline with the clones chasing us, I didn't take the time to consider that you would be left alive with the confusion and the feelings while I would be gone. It was stupid and selfish of me, and I sincerely apologize for that. I also apologize for how these feelings manifested, it seems that all my relationships with women were terribly mishandled. I don't mean to excuse myself, but...you know as well as I do that growing up as a Jedi makes it difficult to approach such matters of attraction or emotional attachment."_

"You shouldn't be sorry for it Ullara. I...I liked it, I just wanted to know why. Thank you for telling me." I responded, I watched my master's face turn into an awkward smile, Master Avdune didn't quite know how to respond to that, and I didn't really blame her either. I responded with a smile of my own, matching her expression, enjoying the fact that I could at least see my master again. I'm sure the feeling is mutual as well, after all, Ullara has made it clear that she's grateful simply for me believing alive and being here. I don't know if Ullara and I could have been together like that in a different life, after all, there is the age gap, and there's also the fact that we only came to know each other because of the Jedi, but...it's nice to know that, if nothing else, there really was something behind that kiss. It wasn't just a distraction, it wasn't just a spur of the moment thing, it was a indicative of an attraction. An attraction the Jedi would have denied, but, standing here, facing Ullara's spirit, I think they were very wrong. Attraction, love, emotions are healthy, even now, just communicating this, just hearing human gratefulness and affection from Ullara, relieved me much, much more than the pressure of living up to her as a Jedi Master and the standards of the order.

" _Thank you for letting me talk to you one last time Zaliza. I'm so happy about this, but...I can't stay here much longer. Just...just remember that I'm watching you and supporting you, even if I can't reach out to you."_ Ullara explained, even as her shimmering form began shimmering away, flickering and growing unstable. I tried speaking but, when words failed me, I simply nodded, letting the tears stream down my face. I watched Ullara's form disappear, the conversation between us was short, but it answered some much needed questions, and it offered me some kind of closure. I waited for Ullara to fully fade away before blinking my eyes and wiping away my tears and, once I reopened my eyes, I found that I had been sitting there, kneeling in meditation all along. The Force truly does work in mysterious ways, and, as if I needed more confirmation of that, the shadows covering the chamber dissipated to reveal another path further into the cave. I sat there, wondering how much of that conversation was real, before getting up and following the path, trying to find my new crystal.

As I walked, I decided to assume that the conversation was real, only that it happened across the Force and I imagined my own actions, as well as Ullara actually appearing as a Force Ghost, but, either way, I believed that she really was watching me and hoping for me to succeed. I also was very relieved that Ullara excused me of her expectations, just telling me to live and do what I thought was right, that was enough for her, and that was all that she was going to ask of me. The Mirialan also seemed to have been reconsidering a lot of her opinions on the Jedi, likely having to go through quite a bit of thinking and reconciliation once she found out about Palpatine and the fall of the Order. The same kind of thinking that I was going through since Order 66. I'm not sure how we could have caught Palpatine's deception or learned about the clones, but the point remains, the state of the Jedi certainly didn't help matters. We had lost sight of our purpose and the people of the galaxy saw it too, suddenly, we weren't the mysterious defenders of peace and justice, the arbiters of treaties, and wise order of trained monks, rather, we were warriors in a war that was bleeding the whole galaxy dry. The Jedi Temple bombing fiasco didn't help matters either.

A trial broadcast across the galaxy, a trial where the wrong Padawan was just about convicted of a crime she didn't commit, and a trial where the real bomber, Barriss Offee, delivered an incendiary speech, damning the Jedi and this war. The worst part is that the Mirialan Padawan was absolutely right - her methods were extreme and violent, but the point remains, her reasoning was just - we've done horrible things in this war and we excused ourselves because most of our victims were battle droids or that we were fighting for the Republic. Nevermind the fact that these Jedi would then turn around and form working relations or even friendships with various astromechs, protocol droids, or other such mechanical creatures. Nevermind the fact that the Republic was being ripped away from us piece by piece thanks to Palpatine's machinations. I freely admit that I couldn't imagine him being a Sith Lord, but I at least found his increasingly absolute power over the Republic alarming, and didn't take his gentle old man persona at face value either.

The point is, in our detached hubris, and our increasingly belligerent nature, we not only stood by and allowed Palpatine's plan to go on, but we fought in the Clone Wars and actually played into his hands. Ullara, left a spirit in the Force, a casualty of Palpatine's conspiracy, has been able to realize that, and she's been questioning a lot of the dogma ever since. So was I. How couldn't I? Being so emotionally detached, avoiding attachment, and following the Council was supposed to keep the Jedi safe from darkness, but what good did it do us? Our Order fell to darkness and then was easily swept aside by the Sith, meaning that our way was clearly not working. That, then, left the question: what was the correct path? I couldn't be sure, but I was starting to think that moderation was the answer, maybe something between what the Jedi are now and Phanza's philosophy. I didn't want to have a complete nihilistic rejection of the Force like Phanza did, but I also didn't think that we should view the Force as a strictly binary division of Light and Dark, nor did I believe fate was unchangeable.

I got sidetracked in my own head, again, but, fortunately, I did seem to have made some progress moving through the cave. I wondered how much longer it was going to take to find my crystal, after all, being confronted with Ullara's spirit was already a massive encounter...surely the Force was done with me at this point. Perhaps, between stating that fate was unchangeable and then wondering what else the Force had in store for me, I brought what happened next upon myself. I rounded a corner to find my crystal, a glowing purple gem embedded into a much larger rock. The only problem was that the crystal was across this large cavern, and the bridge connecting this cave with that rock had fallen into the deep abyss below. It was going to be difficult to cross the cavern. The problem is that, while the cavern is wide and almost endlessly deep, the ceiling is relatively low, meaning that trying to jump across the gap could be dangerous, as my vertical movement was restricted. Nor could I lift the shattered bits of bridge as they were way, way deeper than I could possibly sense them, that left me with trying a more direct solution. Standing on this side of the cavern, I rose my hand and tried to pull the crystal to me with the Force.

Naturally, this trial in the Force couldn't be that easy, as the crystal didn't budge, stuck where it was. This was clearly my crystal, glowing vibrant in the other dark and dreary cave, and appearing as a similar color to my old lightsaber no less. It was perhaps a bit darker, but it was still a purple crystal, still reminiscent of the rare color I had found for myself in the caves of Ilum, and, out of either coincidence or an unlikely sign of fate, purple was also one of the principle colors of the Grand Duchy of Taaszon. Pulling the crystal out clearly wasn't working, so I decided to try something else, maybe I would have an easier time pulling it to me if I was able to dislodge it by Force, loosening up the rock formation. It was perhaps a bit crass and barbaric, but I found a loose bit of rubble, perhaps a small stone left over from the bridge, and, using my powers, I propelled it into the rock formation at full power, hoping to free the crystal. The rock made impact and, I regretted it for a moment as the cave shook, however, as the shaking died down, the rock formation was revealed to still be entirely solid, the crystal just as deeply embedded. The implication was obvious, I wasn't going to get this crystal through brute force.

Realizing that we were on a Sith planet and these caves were often traveled by Dark Side users, I thought that maybe the Dark Side was the key. I figured that, worst case scenario, at least I wouldn't shake the cave again. Therefore, summoning purple Force lightning to my fingertips, I unleashed it upon the rock, hoping that the power behind it would have an effect. I watched as the blast burned off some dust and even loosened a few layers of rock away, but, as I once again tried to pull at the crystal, it still didn't budge. Panting, the strain of using the Force bringing back my earlier fatigue, I figured that this wasn't going to work either. By the time I unleashed enough Force Lightning to actually loosen the crystal, I would be completely and utterly exhausted. I sat down and thought, both to recover a little bit, and to figure out a new strategy for this. I tried to think back to my teachings, trying to remember if Ullara or the Masters or anyone else ever told me something useful, something that could help me in these circumstances.

" _Size matters not, young one."_ I remembered the old adage from Master Yoda, one he always gave while teaching the younglings. With this memory to help me out, I looked over at the rock formation, and realized something very, very strange about this. On closer inspection, the rock formation - and thus the crystal embedded in it -wasn't attached to the cave wall behind it. It would take a lot of concentrated effort to destroy the rock, but, with focus and one single burst of power, I could bring that whole rock formation over here and then find a way to take the crystal out. I've moved things with the Force and I've even seen Phanza levitate herself while arming bombs on the space station, so I could do this. I backed up to give room for the rock formation, and then I thought of Ullara again, knowing that my former Master was there, supporting me, and helping me through this. With that, I took a deep breath and pulled the entire rock formation across the cavern, seeing the rock move away from the cave wall with ease, and then landing the whole thing in front of me. I couldn't help but smirk: size matters not.

Now up close, I was able to do a few things. First of all, I was able to notice that the crystal really wasn't darker than the one I had previously, rather, the reason it appeared that way is that this purple crystal has a black core, just like Phanza's lightsaber. The second thing I was able to do was remove part of the crystal for my use - the whole thing was unnecessarily large so I didn't need all of it - I did, however, take the opportunity to take four shards. I would refine these shards into proper color crystals, and I took four shards for a very particular reason. Two color crystals were used in the construction of the average lightsaber, to form the blade, and thus, four were needed for a double-bladed lightsaber. I think that, at least initially, it would be more pragmatic to build a single-bladed weapon, but, I wanted to be able to build a double-bladed weapon in the future if I wanted to return to a saberstaff again.

I used the Force to return the rock to its original position before turning around and heading out of the cave. As further proof that the Force has twisted my perception of this cave for its own purposes, it only took two bends and a slight incline to exit the northern entrance of the cave and emerge near the force. This time, the incline actually was slippery because the snow was falling into the cave, the whole hill around the forge was by now coated in a blanket of white. I emerged from the cave, the clouds now reduced to a gray as Taaszon entered its sunset, and walked to the cave, leaving a trail of footsteps in my path. A path which eventually climbed the steps and entered the Forge, finding something rather different from the conditions in which Jedi forged their blades. Rather than shaping and wielding the materials together with tools, this forge required only specifications and materials. I would say what I wanted and provide the materials, then the forge would shape a mold. At that point, it was a matter of using my abilities in the Force, the heat of the forge, and my endurance to bear these conditions.

I entered my plans into the archaic forge computer and inserted the durasteel block into the forge once it was ready. At that point, I used the Force to tap into the metal, guiding the molecules into the molds, letting the pieces settle and form piece by piece. All the while, the heat of the forge came over my body from the front while the cold, howling mountain air breezed in from behind me, the two contrasts almost forming an equilibrium of sorts, helping me bear the heat while also protecting me from the winds, as I was completely exposed to the wind and snow coming in behind me. The Forge sheltered my front to an extent, but the wind could come in from behind. The last bits of durasteel finally melted and found their place within the mold, allowing me to turn off the forge and remove the large black mold with the Force, separating the two halves and finding the pieces of my new lightsaber within.

The cool mountain air worked to help cool the metal while I set about refining the crystals, now inserting the four shards into the forge. The crystals needed to be heated up to soften then, making them malleable and able to be shaven down. Thus, in these conditions, the hardest parts began. I had to grab the heavy, metal forge tools, and use them to shave down the shards into proper color crystals. This was necessary to be able to handle the crystals in the heat of the forge, but, it also required using a pair of gigantic, weighty metal tools to perform an incredibly precise task. I took a deep breath and got to work, shaping the crystals, reducing them in size but making them sharper and more refined in shape. I was, however, careful not to crack the crystals, as an unstable crystal was not only unsafe and unpredictable, but would produce an unstable, pulsating blade. I finished one, then the other, shaved down the third, and took a deep as I started on the fourth, running the rough metal edge down the side of the crystal to refine the shape. One surface, then the next, all the way down and all the way around, finishing the crystal. I put the tools down and got to work, removing the crystals from the Forge.

I couldn't use tools for this part, as the heated crystals could be smushed, thus, I used the Force instead, pulling them out and letting them cool. The four crystals and the pieces of my lightsaber cooled down as I sat and meditated again, strengthening my connection to the lightsaber. My energy in the Force was connecting to the molecules within the metal, to the Force presence within the crystals, and the focusing crystal Phanza provided for me, ensuring that everything would be connecting to me by the time that it cooled down. Eventually, it was ready, so I put away the two extra crystals before getting to work on connecting these pieces and bringing my new lightsaber together. I levitated the color crystals and the focusing crystal, the very basis of the lightsaber, and then, I built the internal skeleton around it, the functional part of the lightsaber. It was a thin, almost bony mechanical skeleton, and then I got to work on the rest of my idea. Around this basic frame, I built a simple black and silver tube - something that was meant to be both functional and hide in plain sight, a design that was not obviously a lightsaber - and a frame to connect it to the skeleton. Finally, using the Force, I brought everything together and fitted it, creating my new weapon.

The pieces settled into place and my lightsaber was formed, a black cylinder marked with silver vertical stripes and a matching silver button. I ignited the lightsaber, seeing the purple and black blade emerge from the emitter, and I raised the blade to the sky, feeling the Force and the energy flowing through me, and I felt like, even though it was just a standard blade, I could slice the snowstorm in half with it. I looked over and saw Phanza watching me, the red-skinned Nautolan still waiting where she left me, and I quickly headed back to her. I went into the cave and slipped back out, my experience much simpler than the way in, heading down down, winding up in the chamber where I saw Ullara, and taking the path back up to the main part of the cave. I headed through this part of the cave and walked out, emerging back in the snow in the little moat surrounding the hill. I climbed out and met with Phanza.

"I saw your blade. Good work, but we should head back to the Castle now. The snow is getting worse, it's getting darker, and I have a few things to do tomorrow." Phanza replied, not trying to be rude, but making it clear that we had no reason to loiter out here, especially with snow continuing to fall and accumulate on the path, thus, we started moving. We made our way down the mountain paths but, as we moved, I thought about what Phanza said and realized that I didn't know what she was doing tomorrow. I didn't think that it was a mission against the Empire, after all, we've just gotten by from Loukhamii and Phanza has clearly not had time to plan, however, on the other hand, she did meet with Voytana just before this trip. Perhaps the Grand Duchess gave Phanza a mission and now Lady Attam needs to spend th next days making preparations and shaping a plan of attack. It was an interesting theory, but I decided to ask anyway, figuring that the worst thing that could happen is Phanza deciding not to tell me this.

"What's going on tomorrow?" I asked.

"Look...please don't take this the wrong way." Phanza began, slowing down as she told me this, but kept moving. I gulped, this was not a good start to a story, not a good start to any story really "The way things are going with the Empire, more fighting and more more intensity, it's clear that we need more support on these missions, and a different face could prove useful as well. A Nautolan and a Zeltron showing up over and over again as the Empire gets hurt is going to draw attention sooner rather than later. To that end...I think that it would be beneficial if I took on an apprentice. Voytana not only gave me permission to do so, but she has fully agreed to it, believing that this is a good idea. I am journeying to the moon of Exavellos to assign trials to the next class of acolytes."

"Oh." I replied dumbly, not sure what to say. I felt that it was logical, and I did agree that another face could be incredibly useful, because I'm sure Vader was already suspicious about the pair of red-skinned faces he encountered on Nar Shaddaa, so somebody new could help conceal our movements. That being said, I couldn't help but feel hurt by the idea that Phanza was taking an apprentice. I didn't know why I was hurt, after all, she was a Sith Lord and it was only a matter of time before she took her own apprentice, but it still felt wrong. It was the right thing to do, but...well, I voiced my complicated feelings on the matter to Phanza "Well...it seems like a good idea strategically, but...I kinda thought that place was reserved for me, if I wanted it."

"I know that Zaliza, I know, but we're edging closer and closer to a state of war with the Empire and another Force user could be crucial in the next few phases of our resistance. Besides...if you want to train under me, I could always took on a second apprentice." Phanza replied, reassuring me, and letting me know that, in the Sith tradition, there is apparently no rule against taking multiple apprentices at once. This is in contrast to the Jedi, where a Jedi Master can only have one Padawan at any given time, and it is not unheard of for a Master to only have one Padawan ever, this is not the case here. That did seem to relieve me a bit more, though that didn't make the situation make any more sense...one thing I will say about the Jedi, shutting out the emotions does make everything simple, if nothing else. In any case, after this, we largely returned to Castle Attam in silence.

* * *

"Lady Attam, a pleasure to see you again, and...ah, I see you have brought a companion with you. My name is Overseer Nesorin, I have served as the Master of Trials for the Exavellos Academy for the last two-hundred thirty-eight years. I was honored again recently, trusted by Lady Attam to help her find her apprentice." Phanza and I walked down the ramp of the _Ultimate_ only to be immediately greeted by a Pau'an male, his tall and lanky form moving fluidly as he bowed before Lady Attam and I. I was surprised to see him, both for his exotic species and his advanced age, I mean, based on what he said about serving at the Academy, he had to be well-over 250 years old, and, considering he's held a place of honor at the Sith Academy for 238 of those years...I had to imagine it's been far longer. This was clearly an extended lifespan, but I didn't know if that was an effect of his species, the result of Dark Side magics, or a combination of the two, but still...the only person I knew who was older than perhaps 80 was Master Yoda. Sure, he was hundreds of years old but...it's still surprising to meet other beings that are that old in this galaxy. In fact...he may be the oldest living being in the galaxy, especially if Yoda was killed in Order 66.

"Hello Nesorin, and thank you for the welcome. This is a friend of mine, Zaliza Vyvan. I think you know why we are here." Phanza replied, pleasant but businesslike, clearly having a mission on this planet. I, however, was somewhat at a slower pace, more following Phanza and trying to make the most of this situation. In that respect, I decided to observe Exavellos, one of the larger satellites of Taaszon, and on with a brilliant view of the rings. The planet had an atmosphere, but, despite that, you could still see Taaszon filling the sky, and, thanks to Exavellos being a far flung moon, you could see the turbulent rings and their unique, red electrical storms. Speaking of Taaszon, you could see the snow filling its northern hemisphere, and, in contrast to the winter setting in on the planet, this moon was bright and warm - ironically, part of the brightness came from Taaszon's star reflecting off the ice orbiting nearby - and that light shined down on the ruins and ancient temples dotting the hilly, green, and rocky surface of the planet. The largest of these temples, an impressive structure with a central section lifted by pillars and two wings, formed the Sith Academy itself, and it seemed that would be our main destination.

"Right, follow me." The Pau'an accepted. I noted that he glanced between Phanza and I, perhaps wondering why Phanza needed an apprentice when she was already traveling with me - smart man - but Nesorin didn't openly question Lady Attam - again, smart man - merely leading us to the Academy building. Phanza had already journey to this moon a week ago, the day after I built my new lightsaber, but this was my first time on this world. Today, Nesorin was going to send the finalists out on their last trial, a trial where only one could succeed, and the winner of that trial would become Phanza's new apprentice. Thus, Lady Attam was here to observe the trial and receive her new apprentice, and I was here...I was here because I wanted to meet the person I would be working alongside. This wasn't about petty jealousy or anger, there was no reason for that. Phanza could take two apprentices if she wanted, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to be her apprentice, and, besides all of that, it's not like being an apprentice means anything, it's just a teacher-student dynamic, nothing more.

"The students all had potential through the trials, but, as we placed them through each of the tests you meticulously designed for me, two candidates quickly emerged as the frontrunners for the task." Nesorin continued, now talking to Phanza about the actual trials. I had little doubt that these two frontrunners would be the finalists tested today, the ones who would become Phanza's apprentice. My suspicion was quickly confirmed by the Overseer "The first, a Rattataki named Teltho, he has trained in the Marauder tradition and established himself as a strong and capable warrior. Teltho's strength, however, is not his only strength, as he proved himself sharp and adept in translating the ancient texts who assigned him. He is most definitely a contender."

"Splendid, and the other one?" Phanza asked, the Sith Lord appeared the very definition of elegance. Her hood was down and her head tails were organized in their typical fashion - two over each shoulder and the rest down her back - while her posture remained perfectly straight and her hands were crossed behind her back. The robes she wore today, black and white with a red sash, definitely played into that image as well.

"Yes, the other one is a Chiss girl. Her true name is Schwevaa'aphere'enda, though, for the sake of simplicity, we have taken to referring to her as Schweva. Schweva is an interesting case for a number of reasons, first of all, there is her fighting style. She trained primarily in the Sorcerer path, however, she modified her training with elements of the Marauder and Assassin disciplines as well. I would have thought that this split education and lack of specialization would have seen her weeded out early, though she has succeeded with it thus far. She is intelligent, strong in the Force, and crafty in a fight as well. I am not quite sure how she will match up against Telpho, but it is clear that she is a promising prospect as well."

"What will happen to those acolytes who hadn't become finalists?" I asked, suddenly concerned about the rest of the class, as well as the eventual fate of the loser of this pair.

"Oh, don't worry. While there was once a time where the acolytes who failed in the Academy were disposed of, we have accepted that modifications have had to be made to these trials to deal with our dwindling numbers. Now, the policy is that all who survive the trials will find a place among the ranks of Taaszon. Some take the trials again in hopes of becoming a different Sith's apprentice, some take ancillary roles such as healers or Academy staff, and others find military roles anyway, perhaps as Dark Jedi auxiliaries or even ordinary troops." Nesorin explained. I was relieved to hear that those who survived but failed the Sith Trials weren't just killed in cold blood, and I actually found this similar to a number of programs at the Jedi Temple for less able Force-sensitives. In any case, this seemed to be another example of necessity and pragmatism by the Grand Duchy of Taaszon.

"Excellent. These must be the acolytes." Phanza said as we entered the Academy and found the two aliens waiting for us, the Rattataki male and the Chiss female. One a hulking tattooed ivory behemoth, the other a small but fierce blue-skinned sorceress. Their roles were reflected in their outfits, with Telpho wearing a suit of obsidian black armor, practical and minimalistic, while Schweva wore robes. The robes were black with purple pinstripes, and they had a bare waist and arms, much like several of the robes Phanza wore. I had to admit that made me more jealous, she already dressed like Phanza, and, despite being an acolyte, she carried herself with confidence and pride. It didn't help the fact that, with her blue-skinned and solid red eyes, Schweva not only looked attractive, but a dangerous kind of attractive, exactly the kind of attractive that I fear Phanza may be fascinated with.

"Yes, they are. Telpho and Schweva. They will be tasked with finding the key to the Great Armory of Exavellos. Located in the ruins in the Explorers' Valley, the Armory contains the arsenal of many of the Sith who first arrived on this planet. The one who finds the hidden key in the Valley first and unlocks the armory, shall not only have free reign of the weapons, but shall become Lady Attam's apprentice." Nesorin explained. The neatly assigned trial not only narrowed it down to one candidate, but also armed that candidate, streamlining the process. The Rattataki and the Chiss departed while the three of us waited, knowing that a definitive result would be found sooner rather than later. A few more hours passed before Telpho returned, and I grew excited for a moment. If nothing else, the Rattataki wasn't Schweva, he wasn't dangerous in the way that she was, and, therefore, I wanted him to win.

"Overseer, I apologize, but the key was already gone when I found its altar. I tried to change tactics and ambush Schweva instead, waiting at the armory, but she repelled my attack." Telpho bowed and admitted defeat. As if on cue, Schweva entered just after him, two weapons on her belt, and a large metal key in her hand, proof of her success.

"Your key, my mistress." Schweva bowed and presented the key, with me hating every moment of it.

"Excellent. Arise, my apprentice." Phanza replied, smirking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh - drama inbound!


	21. Machinations of The Master

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! We're coming up on the end of act two now! Have no fear though, there's still a whole third act to go!

Act II.

The Heart of Darkness.

Chapter XXI.

Machinations of The Master.

* * *

I shouldn't have had an emotional reaction to this.

I've seen Phanza sparring on the observation deck of Castle Attam countless times. The only difference this time was that, rather than testing herself against Ruumshi and Avoine, as per usual, Phanza was testing Schweva in combat. The Chiss girl had taken a modified version of the Sorcerer training path - evidently, from the Sith Empire, the Grand Duchy of Taaszon has inherited a specific path-based training regiment, where acolytes would choose one of a number of set paths and train accordingly - but it was still the Sorcerer path, and apparently that meant that Schweva would need to work on her close-range fighting. Phanza, who has also trained as a Sorcerer, explained that the path specialized towards use of the Force, often lightning, and often at range. Phanza had explained that, while that was all well and good, reality often meant that Sith would be forced to fight at close range and with melee weapons, so, they needed to be prepared for that possibility. Presumably, based on our recent missions, Phanza would also train Schweva to fight with blasters. I didn't think I'd like that either.

There were some things I liked about this though. I liked seeing Phanza sink into her Makashi stance, her left hand pointed in front of her, as if she was using her fingertips to aim, and her lightsaber in her right hand, positioned up along her head. It may seem like a risky position, had stuck out like that, but I knew all of this was purposeful, it was setting herself up for a precise lunge forward as soon as the fight began. I like Phanza's take on the Makashi form, it truly seemed like the lightsaber was an extension of herself, in that she turned herself into a weapon, she moved so fluidly, so gracefully, it almost seemed like a dance, but a dance that was as deadly as it was beautiful. It appeared beautiful even now, as Phanza was dressed in a heavy set of purple and black robes, designed to cope with the elements. The heavy, warm fabric and the purple fur rounding her collar seemed to do nothing to restrict her movement or slow her down. I looked down at myself, dressed in my similar burgundy and black winter robe, and I didn't feel nearly as unrestricted.

Then, on the other end of the observation platform, there was the matter of Schweva. The Chiss was dressed similarly to us, with Schwevaa'aphere'enda wearing a dark blue robe with grayish-white fur around the hood. Her stance was grounded, but simple, much less impressive than Phanza's stance. There was also the fact that, out of the two hilts that Schweva held in her hand, neither was ignited. That seemed like a dangerous move to me, it was allowing Phanza the first move, and I thought that was an arrogant and foolish decision. She was fresh out of the Academy in her first sparring match against her master, and she had decided to go onto the defensive. I didn't like that either. I knew that Phanza didn't order her to fight like this, so it seemed like this was Schweva's idea. I'm not sure what bothered me more, the idea that Phanza had taken on an apprentice stupid enough to try this, or the possibility that Phanza had chosen an apprentice capable enough to actually do this. The first one was merely an annoyance, but the latter seemed like a threat.

I wasn't about to call myself a Sith or anything, but I liked the relationship Phanza and I had, I liked our bond, and I liked that we traveled together. Schweva upset that, Schweva became something else for Phanza to focus on, and Schweva was now Phanza's apprentice, that meant that the Chiss girl became Phanza's responsibility, not me. I know that Phanza insisted that things were different between Sith, that it wasn't quite like the relationship between Padawan and Jedi Master, but I knew that it was going to be a close bond regardless. It bothered me that Phanza was going to form a bond with Schweva, and, I had to admit, it bothered me more that this was a young, attractive, and seeming confident and capable woman. It seemed childish and trivial to let this bother me, but it did, and I would especially be bothered if it turned out that Schweva really did have the potential she seemed to possess.

"Begin." Avoine declared, the human woman acted as somewhat of an official to this, likely observing and recording Schweva's actions for her master. Ruumshi was also in attendance, the orange-skinned Twi'lek sitting relatively close to me. None of that seemed to matter though, because the duel started in front of us. Phanza let out a war cry before beginning her lunge, wanting to cross their dueling circle and attack Schweva, but the Chiss finally ignited one of her weapons. I was surprised for two reasons, one, I was surprised to see that Schweva's weapon was a lightwhip of all things, a rare and exotic variant of the lightsaber that behaved like a long and deadly whip. The other thing that surprised me was that Schweva's crystal was blue with a black core. The same style as Phanza's red lightsaber and the same style as my new crystal, and that bothered me too. It seemed like the Chiss was establishing herself as part of our set, and I didn't want her to fit in here, I didn't want her to make herself as part of our unit. I wanted it to just remain about Phanza and I.

The long blue and black whip impacted the ground in front of Phanza twice, stopping her. I didn't want to do this, but I did see how Schweva was using the Force to manipulate the movements of the whip, turning what could be an unruly and dangerous weapon, and turning it into a guided and precise weapon...I had to admit that was a novel and impressive use of that weapon, if nothing else. It was somewhat effective too, in that it halted Phanza's advance. At this point, I'm sure that either one of them could have launched a flurry of force lightning at the other, but, that wasn't the point of this sparring match, this was about their weapons. Phanza recovered well from being halted and leapt high in the air, Schweva responded with a flick of her whip, but Lady Attam was over it. The Nautolan landed on her feet now much closer to Schweva, and she effortlessly sunk back into a combat stance. I thought for sure that Schweva would have to switch weapons at this point, the whip would leave her massively disadvantaged at close range, but, annoyingly enough, the Chiss insisted on proving me wrong.

Manipulating her weapon with the Force, the blue and black whip curved behind Phanza, forcing her to block it backwards with her lightsaber over her head, however, the other end of the whip was still coming around Phanza. I thought that Phanza was going to have to leap away and have to contend with Schweva at range, though, fortunately for me anyway, Phanza was better than that. The Sith Lord, seeing her situation, decided to drop to the ground, letting the whip pass above her harmlessly. Then, before Schweva could recover, Phanza lunged from her prone position to a standing position, lightsaber pointed right at Schweva. The apprentice, seeing that her whip truly was useless at this range, deactivated it and switched to the weapon in her left hand. The Sorceress activated a traditional lightsaber with a matching blue and black blade, taking a two handed grip, and battled Phanza's well practiced Form II style with a formidable defense in Form V - Shien. It was a defensive form, but an aggressive take on a defensive form, and somewhat impatient compared to the more classical Soresu. That being said, with her experience and her dueling focused form, Phanza wasn't exactly leaving Schweva many opportunities.

A flurry of light strikes constantly hit Schweva's lightsaber, keeping her off-balance, keeping her from settling into a firm stance, not leaving any weaknesses for the young apprentice to abuse. When they did finally meet blades, it came on Phanza's terms, with the Nautolan's red blade pushing down on Schweva's blue one, again, granting the advantage to the master. Phanza usually relied on grace, agility, or the Force in combat, but, here, I got to see her use strength as well. Perhaps strength amplified by the Force, yes, but it still looked impressive as Phanza really started bearing down on Schweva, even walking forward, just to increase the weight pushing down on the young Chiss. Schweva knew that she couldn't keep up like this, so she changed tactics. I watched as she deactivated her lightsaber and rolled out of the way of Phanza's blade. Lady Attam was perhaps expecting this, because she didn't let her momentum force her into a stumble, rather, she relaxed herself, bringing her lightsaber out and down into a ready stance. She was going to let Schweva attack this time.

Schweva made a two-handed swing for Phanza's head, but Lady Attam simply rose her hand in one motion, the blade coming straight up, and the attack stopped in its tracks. Phanza smirked as Schweva made a disappointed expression and disengaged, her master stopped her attack with one hand, in one motion no less. Phanza's seemingly loose, one-handed grip was unmovable, even to a furious, strong swing like Schweva had attempted. Phanza stood exactly like that as Schweva tried another onslaught, this one more educated, more strategic. A quick series of light blows tested Phanza's iron grip, but then, a low thrust towards Phanza's legs forced to Nautolan to abandon her stance and catch the blade. Having gotten what she wanted, the Chiss then swung up again, though this time, it wasn't an iron grip of a lightsaber that stopped her, it was Phanza's free hand catching her wrist. Phanza twisted her wrist and Schweva's lightsaber clattered to the ground, deactivated. Phanza then squeezed and pulled, bring Schweva down a kneel, defeated. I couldn't help but cringe, I had expected this, and I didn't particularly like the Chiss woman, but that was a harsh way to end the fight. That being said, what Phanza did next was gentle.

"You did well, my apprentice." Phanza assessed before offering her hand, helping Schweva up, confusing the Chiss.

"What do you mean mistress? I failed." Schweva replied. I didn't like the way she called Phanza mistress, something about that bothered me more than if she simply called her master. I understood that mistress was correct in this case, it simply acknowledged Phanza's gender, and I didn't want to be crass, but even I knew that the term mistress came with certain connotations, and I didn't like those connotations. That being said, I couldn't really see those connotations right now, rather, I saw Schweva still kneeling, confused at the offered hand in front of her, not understanding why she was getting positive reinforcement. I had to remind myself, despite Overseer Nesorin's insistence that failed acolytes weren't outright killed anymore, these were still Sith Academies. Schweva was trained in the Sith tradition, she was trained in a tradition that favored the strong and marginalized the weak. The fact that the second-best acolyte wasn't killed was considered remarkable progress for these Academies, and that is the world that the Chiss just came from. I may not like Schweva or her permanent presence alongside us, but I wasn't heartless towards her either, I definitely had sympathy towards her.

"Of course you failed. I'm a master, a Sith Lord. I trained under Grand Duchess herself and became the latest heir of the Line of Kallig, you're a few days removed from still being an acolyte. You were never going to win this duel, you probably won't win one for months of training, and you shouldn't expect to. These duels aren't about seeing if you can win, they're about honing your skills, finding your talents, and compensating for your weaknesses. In that regard, you did fine. You demonstrated proficiency with the lightwhip - a very rare weapon and one difficult to master - and you demonstrated good judgement with when you switched to your lightsaber. Your use of Shien was also commendable. You were able to break my defensive stance and showed ability to adapt. This is an excellent foundation Schwevaa'aphere'enda, believe me." Phanza replied, encouraging and even praising the Chiss apprentice. I liked hearing that tone in Phanza's voice, I liked her being the gentle master, firm when she needs to be, but encouraging as well. I only wish that side of Phanza was directed at me, not at this Chiss girl who just appeared out of nowhere. I wish that, at least, Phanza had talked to me before she made this decision, not after.

"I - yes my mistress, I understand." Schweva seemed like she was going to object but bowed her head and accepted it, now standing. The two of them stood there, with their matching winter robes, the only differences being the color schemes and the fact that Phanza had those little warmers on her head tails, and they looked like a matching set. Perhaps it was only my imagination, but they seemed to linger in that position for just a moment, as if they wanted to burn it into my head that they were a close pair now, a master and apprentice bond that I had no part in. Whether or not that lingering moment actually happened, the relative peace of the post-duel observation deck was broken by the sound of a holocommunicator. I was brought out of my own head and Schweva quickly moved over Ruumshi and I while Phanza picked up the call. I wasn't sure if Schweva was being oblivious or malicious when she sat down next to me, but I didn't think about that for long, because I wanted to listen in on the call, and it seems that the Chiss woman wanted to too.

"Grandmistress Tamat, are you available?" a male voice asked, using the alias that Phanza used on Nar Shaddaa. The title was also from there, as Zapnha Tamat was not only the owner of the Star Cluster casino, but the Grandmistress of the Neo-Revanites. So, Phanza was being contacted by an order of fanatics who worship a long dead Sith Lord - who was also a Jedi before and, surprisingly enough, after being a Sith - and I couldn't help but wonder why. On Nar Shaddaa she made it clear that she sees them as a means to an end, but what did they see her as? I wasn't sure, nor did I know what these cultists wanted to her. Phanza seemed pretty confident that she had this New Order of Revan under her thumb, but what if she's wrong? I couldn't help but worry.

"Yes, I am free. I'm not alone, but I am among friends. You may speak freely Teeroshkin." Phanza replied, glancing at us when she said friends. I noticed that, so far, she hadn't mentioned anything about being a Sith or having apprentices. Perhaps she was hiding that fact from the Neo-Revanites, or perhaps she simply took care not to disclose that over communication channels. The hooded human male on the other end, was revealed to be named Teeroshkin, and the way that Phanza talked to him made it clear that he was a subordinate. A loyal member of the Neo-Revanites, perhaps? I wasn't sure, not yet anyway, but I was going to try and figure out as much as I can from listening in. Anything after that, I can ask Phanza herself about.

"Very well, I trust your judgement, Grandmistress. First, I bring good news. One of our operatives from Coruscant has managed to return, moving slowly and subtly through the galaxy. I have her here at the Manaan enclave for now, where should I direct her?" I noticed a few things here, first is that Teeroshkin has a somewhat more formal and distinct speech pattern. I grew up in the Jedi Order, so I already had a formal speech pattern myself, but I still found Teeroshkin's speech to be distinctive, distinctive enough to note, anyway. The second thing I realized here was that Teeroshkin helped handle some of Phanza's spies, with the woman in question here being one of the spies compromised on Coruscant. As Phanza mentioned when Vader first appeared, many were killed outright, others disappeared into the underworld, this, evidently, being one of the latter group. The final thing I was able to gleam from this was that this Neo-Revanite enclave was on Manaan, a sea world in the Mid-rim. The Selkath homeworld was one famous as the sole exporter of the healing substance known as Kolto, but, with the widespread emergence of Bacta, Kolto is nowhere near as prolific as it once was.

"Usual procedure. Scan her for spy equipment, give her a mental examination, and have any information she possesses on her person processed and then wiped. If all is well, reequip her and send her to a safehouse off-world to await further instruction." Phanza replied, her commandments were eye-opening. I knew that Phanza ran a vast spy network and thus she was adept at espionage, but the procedures she has in place really spells out the professionalism and the extent of her operation. First of all, returning operatives are vigorously examined to make sure they have not been turned into double-agents. Second of all, they are reequipped for every mission, meaning that they never use the same equipment twice. This puts any potential double-agents at a disadvantage, and it also makes attempts at counterespionage against Phanza difficult. Finally, with her being sent off-world, it is clear that Phanza keeps her spies in one place for as little time as possible. If there is a distant trail behind this returning spy, she will spend as little time on Manaan as possible, making it seem like just another stop in her attempts to shake her pursuers. There is also the implication of widespread safehouses and numerous operatives in this spy network.

"Yes, of course, my Grandmistress. I possess more news though. The enclave has received word that Operator Rahlkann has left Cipher-9, we believe the he is heading for Manaan. You requested to be alerted as soon as we received news." Teeroshkin added, revealing that Operator Rahlkann was finally making his move for that ancient cybernetics factory. Phanza was forced tor reveal this to him on Cipher-9, before the Loukhamii business, and it seems that he is now acting on it. I'm not surprised, at all, that Phanza had her spies on Manaan look into this situation. She clearly seemed upset at giving up this information and, while I'm sure that part of it is wanting to keep leverage over Rahlkann, I think the cybernetics factory is important to her as well. I was, however, a bit concerned. I mean, there was already the fact that Palpatine took over the Republic from right under our noses, but the size of Phanza's operations were becoming rather alarming.

A casino on Nar Shaddaa, a cult with an enclave on Manaan and seemingly much more, this undersea cybernetics factory, spies on Coruscant and throughout the Republic, and a whole Sith state in the Unknown Regions. Phanza and the Sith managed to hide all of that from the Jedi. We thought that we destroyed the Sith, but seeing the effectiveness of Palpatine and his faction, seeing the sheer scale of Taaszon's shadowy operations, and seeing how easily the Jedi were swept away, I couldn't help but imagine what else we've missed. With both of these Sith factions far stronger and healthier than the Jedi could have possibly imagined, who is to say that there aren't more Sith factions hiding in plain sight? I must say that it is concerning - I mean, that is somewhat of an understatement, considering that the entire Jedi Order has been massacred and wiped out - we had completely lost sight of everything around us. The Jedi Council kept saying that their visions of the future where clouded in darkness, and no wonder it was clouded, there were Sith all around us and we didn't even realize it.

"Hmm, right, thank you for telling me Teeroshkin. I will be on route to Manaan shortly. Make sure my hangar is prepped." Phanza replied, ending the call with clear orders for her subordinate. Phanza evidently trusted the Neo-Revanite human as well, as she simply barked out the orders with the expectation that they would be followed through without question. Phanza thought for a moment before turning to us "Right, Avoine, you and I are going to meet quickly and discuss Schweva's performance. Ruumshi, I need you to prep the _Chancellery_ for us. Finally, Zaliza, I need you to help find a disguise for Schweva. Find a way to make her fit in with Zapnha Tamat and Vyvienne Alzicia. I want all of you to work as quickly as possible too, it seems that Rahlkann already has a head start on us."

"...Right, understood." I reluctantly accepted. I wanted to say no, to suggest that someone else should do this part, but I didn't, for two reasons. The first reason was that, with Operator Rahlkann already on the move, it was clear that Phanza was in rush, and the Nautolan was in no mood to argue over this. That would only waste time and give Rahlkann more of a chance of getting to Manaan before us and, potentially, even finding the undersea facility. Rahlkann did have the coordinates after all, it wasn't going to taken him forever to find it. The second reason was that, as much as I didn't want to do this for Schweva, I was the one who actually traveled with Phanza on Nar Shaddaa, I knew how Zapnha Tamat dressed. I knew how I dressed when I disguised as her bodyguard, therefore, I was the best placed to find a disguise for her, second only to Phanza herself. Fortunately for me, Schweva followed without remark, at least until we reached the elevator heading down to the speeders. I was going to take her down to the capital city to find a disguise for her.

"Fill me in on the situation. Why are we going to Manaan in disguises and what is the problem with Rahlkann? Phanza said he was an Operator, doesn't that mean that he's part of the Intelligentsia?" Schweva asked once we got on the elevator, revealing that the apprentice didn't fully understand the mission. Now, part of me wanted to be petty and ignore her, especially because her tone made it sound like she was entitled to an answer. Then again, as Phanza's apprentice and as part of this mission, she was entitled to an answer, and her questions were relevant. She wanted to know why she had to wear a disguise and she wanted to know why Operator Rahlkann was an enemy, and, as much as I didn't like her presence here, those were valid questions.

"Okay. Phanza obviously can't operate openly out in the galaxy, especially not after meeting Palpatine face to face before the separatist invasion. This means that she conducts a lot of her operations in the wider galaxy under an alias. Her primary one is Zapnha Tamat, who is, amongst other things, the Grandmistress of the Neo-Revanites. I posed as her mercenary bodyguard during a previous mission on Nar Shaddaa, now we need to find a disguise for you." I explained "As for Rahlkann, he and Phanza seem to have some sort of rivalry going on. Between cybernetics, drones, and his own abilities, Rahlkann fancies himself a Jedi killer, and Phanza is having none of it. This hadn't really been a problem before, but, recently, Phanza had to trade the coordinates to a cybernetics factory on Manaan to Rahlkann, in exchange for mission critical information. Now, I think Phanza wants to stop him from getting to that ancient facility."

"I see. Thank you." Schweva responded with upmost professionalism, having received all the information and context she needed. I didn't respond to that, instead, I simply waited for this elevator ride to finish.

* * *

"Chiss are rare in the wider galaxy. If we had more time, we could see about forging you some contacts and maybe some face paint, have you pose as a Pantoran or a Wroonian, a species more common in the Mid-rim, but we don't really have that opportunity. Any ideas?" I asked Schweva as we walked through the capital city, thinking of ways to disguise her. Species was the main hurdle, Chiss were a rarity and we needed to be able to explain away her species. In future missions, with more preparation, we could disguise her as a member of another species, but I doubted we had enough time for such an endeavor right now. I needed to come up with something plausible, but I also needed to find something quickly enough to meet her time table.

"Well, maybe we're overthinking this. Zapnha Tamat is a rich galactic businesswoman with her claws spread around the galaxy, no? Is it really that far-fetched that she could be having meetings with business contacts from the Chiss Ascendancy? I could disguise myself as a low-level Chiss attache traveling with Lady Tamat for a time." Schweva proposed, giving what was definitely the easiest path, though one we would need to iron out with Phanza on the way to Manaan. We had to account for the worst possibilities, such as being pulled aside by Selkath authorities or even the unexpected arrival of the Empire, therefore, all three of us needed to have a definite understanding of our cover stories. That way, they could interrogate us all separately and end up with the same story, making sure that everything checks out. Phanza could help us find a reason that Zapnha would travel with a Chiss attache, all we needed to do was disguise her as one. Fortunately, Schweva seemed to have that covered "This way, there is a store in the Chiss Quarter that imports items right from the Ascendancy."

"Good, lead the way." I responded and decided to trust the Chiss on this one. I'm sure that, while it also broke down to a question of time and numbers, this was also Phanza's attempt to get us two to cooperate. The Nautolan knew that I was troubled by her taking on another apprentice, and I wouldn't be surprised if Schweva also saw me as a rival of sorts, but Phanza was trying to get us to talk and work together. The message was clear, Lady Attam wanted us to at least be able to form a functional relationship, if not outright befriend each other. Phanza had little use for our envy and hidden glares. In any case, Schweva led me to a relatively high end Chiss store and set about disguising herself as an attache from the Chiss Ascendancy. The Chiss woman ended up picking a white, silver, and blue gown, an elegant matching blaster pistol that almost blended in to the fabric of her dress, and tied her hair up into a bun to appear like the essence of a youthful but energetic agent of the Chiss Ascendancy. Exactly the type of person who would be looking to break the Ascendancy's typical isolationism, Schweva reasoned. I wasn't sure about that, but I did admit that this look was very different from the Sith apprentice in a coat look of this morning.

"How do I look?" she asked, it was a mocking question, but I think I heard a sliver of legitimate questioning in that tone. As if she believed that this look would work, but still wanted confirmation from someone involved. I wasn't sure what the Sith Academy's training protocols were like, but knowing that the programs she trained under were the Sorcerer and Marauder programs, I don't think Schweva has ever worked with a disguise before. Neither marauding warriors no lightning-casting sorcerers seem particularly stealthy to me. She did look fine, but this was somewhat of a concerning matter, in my opinion. I understood the want for anther lightsaber on the battlefield, and I also understood that having a new face could help reduce suspicion directed at us - suddenly it's not just a Nautolan and a Zeltron appearing wherever the Empire is hit, it's a trio, or a Nautolan and a Chiss, or a Chiss and a Zeltron, or only one of us - but I was also worried about her inexperience. I can't help but think that an apprentice straight out of the Academy could be a liability at times.

"You look fine." I answered, diplomatically, trying to hide what I was just thinking about her. My own concerns aside, there was something else we needed to figure out while we returned to Castle Attam "What is your alias going to be? I'm guessing it's going to be a Chiss name, but try to put some effort into it. I'm worried enough with Phanza's name being an anagram, but at least she has the excuse of that alias being an established one.

"Zaranu'utthona'aphillii." Schweva responded almost immediately. I was curious as to how she came up with a name that quickly, a name so different from hers, and a name that seemed to be a real Chiss name. I glanced at her, looking for elaboration, but Schweva either didn't notice my glance or chose not to share any more. I didn't know, though I had to wonder what the link was between her actual name of Schwevaa'aphere'enda and this new alias of Zaranu'utthona'aphillii. The name seemed too complex and real to just come off the top of her head. In any case, we headed back up to Castle Attam. I still had to change into my Vyvienne Alzicia disguise, then, we would head to the _Chancellery's_ hangar, ready for Phanza's mission to Manaan.

* * *

A red leather jacket on my torso, two blaster pistols at my hips, and my hair tied back into a functional ponytail. I wasn't quite sure if I looked like a mercenary bodyguard, but I definitely didn't look like a Jedi right now. The tight-fitting black pants tucked into my boots didn't help either, clinging to my skin in a way that my Jedi robes never did, but I couldn't let that bother me. A hardened, professional mercenary doesn't care about modesty - well, perhaps some do, but that is a distinctive personality quirk, and the last thing I want in a disguise is anything distinctive - I would rather remain an anonymous associate of Zapnha Tamat, out of focus and out of mind. It doesn't help that, the last time I was in focus, when Thonna recognized me on Nar Shaddaa, it almost led to Darth Vader figuring us out. An unremarkable mercenary, that was my goal, and, thankfully for me, my two colleagues are much more distinctive.

Phanza - Zapnha Tamat rather - was dressed in a purple and black gown, an odd asymmetrical design with only one sleeve, her other arm was bare. A sparkling purple cape with a black edge and a golden border sat over the clothed arm, interestingly not the bare one. I'm sure that was a deliberate choice, though I can't say why - I'm not exactly one educated on fashion - her blaster pistol was also sitting concealed beneath the cape. On the opposite side, her lightsaber sat in the sheathe, the weapon openly on display, as if it was a challenge to anyone who would dare question her, and, knowing Phanza, it probably was. Finally, I saw that Phanza didn't waste any time, her head-tails were already covered in red makeup, masking her tattoos, and, not only that, all of them were arranged down her back, in contrast to her typical style. It was a small thing, but it was another thing to make Zapnha Tamat distinct from Phanza Attam. Obviously Phanza can't hide the fact that she's a red-skinned Nautolan woman, but she can change her more distinctive choices, hence the tattoos are covered up, hence the styles of dress are different, and hence the different way of wearing her head tails. It was a small thing, but it could make a difference.

We tried to cover our tracks well on Loukhamii, eliminating the witnesses on the space station and on the surface, and I believe that Thonna shared as little with her superiors as possible, but we couldn't be too careful. It was certainly possible that, one way or another, the Empire has acquired a very recent image of Phanza, an image they have on file, thus, it is important that Zapnha doesn't resemble that. There is, fortunately, a certain benefit for her, in that the elites of the galaxy typically pay less attention to aliens. In the heart of the Republic, on Coruscant, humans were the majority, the elite class, with aliens largely limited to the crime-ridden lower levels, or the odd alien here and there that has managed to succeed despite these circumstances. Alien Senators were another exception to the humans being the elites rule, but even they were up against a human plurality in the Senate. Therefore, if the Empire does have Phanza on file, then doing things like hiding the tattoos and wearing her head tails differently, could be enough to slip under their radar.

"Good, you're both here. Schweva, I believe your disguise will work, good work to you and to Zaliza. Get onboard and we'll talk more." Phanza ordered, swiftly addressing us before telling us to get a move on. Phanza was remaining measured and in control for our benefit, but I can tell that she's antsy, I can tell that she wants to get a move on already. Now, this was a cybernetics factory, an ancient Sith one apparently, so I could understand why that would be important to Phanza, even if she, personally, had little use for cybernetics. Quite frankly, it is a strategic resource and she knows about it, she can access it and tap into the technology there for her soldiers, if need be, or she could simply continue using it for leverage over Operator Rahlkann. Though we seem to be beyond the latter.

I wasn't sure what was going to happen once we got to Manaan and confronted the cyborg, but I didn't think that this was going to end well for Rahlkann. I know that the peace with the Intelligentsia was important with Taaszon, but was Rahlkann really going to back down this close to the factory he's been seeking, evidently for awhile? I didn't think so. I knew that Phanza wasn't going to back down, she was already stressed out and humiliated that she had to give this information to the Operator to begin with, she certainly wasn't going to let him use it now. I wasn't sure what the terms were between the Grand Duchy and the Intelligentsia, so maybe it would all be fine, maybe Phanza will be able to tell the truth - that she was defending a cybernetics factory she claimed as her own - and get away with it. On the other hand, Rahlkann was an Operator and that seemed to mean he was a high-ranking Intelligentsia member. Perhaps it didn't matter how good Phanza's reason was, perhaps the Intelligentsia wouldn't accept any retaliation against Rahlkann. It all remains to be seen.

* * *

"Grandmistress! Herald and representative of Revan - the Great One, the Prodigal Knight, and the Master of the Star Maps - welcome to Manaan!" Teeroshkin greeted once we landed in Zapnha Tamat's personal hangar on Manaan. We stood in a silver compound in Ahto City, still the main surface settlement on the ocean world, a title it has held for thousands of years. The city may not be the trade center it once was, but, thanks to centuries of lucrative Kolto trade, industries of tourism, service, and alternate types of commerce have developed instead. Likewise, the city still bears the riches of all the Kolto it has sold, a shining silver paradise on the sea, ruled by the Selkath, but open to species from all across the galaxy. The Galactic Republic - now the Empire - still maintained its age old embassy here on Manaan and, according to what Phanza said on the flight here, there was once a Sith Embassy just as grand and important here. Literally right here, as this hangar was built on the site of part of the Sith Embassy, the other part was now the Neo-Revanite Enclave.

"Hello Teeroshkin. This is my bodyguard, Vyvienne Alzicia, and a business partner, Zaranu'utthona'aphillii, a representative of the Chiss Ascendancy. Is Rahlkann here yet?" Zapnha spoke in the same slightly high class but otherwise unremarkable Republic accent that she used on Nar Shaddaa, in contrast to her usual posh Taaszon - supposedly Sith - accent. Lady Tamat introduced Schweva and I for just long enough to say that she was being polite, then she got down to business, questioning Teeroshkin. The human male was standing opposite of us with four bodyguards behind him, individuals wearing similar hooded robes to their master, and equipped with long beskar pikes. That was a distinct bit of Mandalorian imagery, but these hooded men did not wear Mandalorian helmets, not even masks, but then, I remembered who we were dealing with. An order devoted to Revan, to the rogue Jedi who fought in the Mandalorian Wars, and famously appropriated their symbols by turning the reigning Mandalore's helmet into a mask. So I suppose it makes sense a Revan cult would, likewise, be armed with Mandalorian weapons. It was good that neither Ceyla or Yevenna were here though, that could turn rather controversial.

"He is on world, my Grandmistress, but we have made arrangements for this. We have arranged for him to encounter great difficulties with the Selkath authorities at the spaceport. Our agents in the area report that he is still there, working to disentangle himself from our manipulations. He does have a valid entry visa and a clean ship though, so you must hurry, There is only so long that the Selkath port officers we control can stall." Teeroshkin responded, revealing that they slowed Rahlkann down with bribes to the alien bureaucracy. The Selkath were strictly independent and had a very, very harsh law code, so Rahlkann couldn't just try and threaten his way out of that situation, he needed to follow the law. The Selkath affiliated with the Neo-Revanites know to take as long as possible, but there is only so much that they can do, thus, the three of us headed out immediately. Teeroshkin and two of his bodyguards stepped aside to allow us through, with the other two joining us as we rushed from this private landing pad to the public spaceport.

"There he is!" Zapnha spotted Rahlkann leaving the spaceport just as we arrived. The Operator had cleared Selkath security and was dressed in a disguise himself, trying to pass himself off as a typical cyborg smuggler and trader, but Phanza knew better than that. The five of us, three Sith and two Revanite guards, surrounded the cyborg, forming a ring around him and trying to cut off his escape. Around us, civilians and other people around the port were watching, trying to figure out what was going on, but, fortunately, there was no police presence among them. Teeroshkin must have also arranged for the Selkath authorities to disappear, allowing us to confront Rahlkann. That being said, with so many witnesses around, I didn't think that we could just kill the Operator here and now, the Selkath would receive countless reports and they would have to respond. Teeroshkin could use bribes and influence individual Selkath to stay away, but there wasn't much he could do if our party was involved in a brazen murder like this. I'm sure Phanza knew that, but I made it clear through our mental link nonetheless, we needed to have some sense here. We were acting on a planet with a strict legal system and a history of damming sentences for criminals.

"What is this about? I'm just trying to get to the cantina and have a drink." Rahlkann responded, making his voice gruff, sounding like an experienced pirate and scoundrel. I noticed that he had a blaster pistol on his hip and a scattergun strapped to his back, making a rather capable arsenal, should he need it, but he was also surrounded, so it was questionable how much good it could do him.

"Right, you and I both know we have business. Let us avoid trouble and have a civilized discussion behind closed doors, shall we?" Zapnha countered, framing this event as some sort of criminal underworld business, and also openly stating that she didn't want any trouble. That did help ease some of the bystanders watching us, as did the fact that Phanza wanted to take this discussion inside, away from this innocent bystanders. That did not seem to ease Rahlkann however, as inside likely meant some place where Phanza was in control - he might not know this, but I knew that the Neo-Revanite compound was definitely a place where Phanza could act with impunity - and therefore, a place where he was at risk. Rahlkann still wanted to get out of this situation with him getting the cybernetics factory, so he wasn't just going to let Phanza lure him into a trap and kill him, but he also wasn't going to be the one to start a fight and get himself arrested.

"Fine then. I want to go to the cantina and you want to meet behind closed doors. We'll go there and meet in a private room. It will be completely neutral ground, a place where neither of us have been yet. Deal?" Rahlkann proposed, finding a way to honor Phanza's arrangement without being lead into a trap, finding a setting that was private enough to talk openly but public enough that we couldn't risk a struggle.

"Deal, leas the way." Phanza accepted, deescalating the situation. The people of Ahto City seemed to breath a sigh of relief as we broke the circle and made our way to the cantina. I noticed that, through that whole tense situation, neither Phanza nor Rahlkann used names. They didn't know each other's aliases and made it work despite that. It really showed that these two were experienced spies and knew how to work in these situations, and it also showed that, despite being so close to starting a shootout in the streets, there was a certain honor among thieves here. Both Phanza and Rahlkann were ultimately from the Grand Duchy of Taaszon, Phanza directly and Rahlkann from the autonomous vassal state that is the Intelligentsia, and, even in the worst of times, they didn't want to reveal each other. The implication was that the security of Taaszon was more important than individual goals. I had to admit I could respect that about Rahlkann, at least his greed was not to the point where he was going to endanger his own state.

The dynamic between Phanza and Rahlkann was an interesting one. The first encounter on Cipher-9, out on the landing pad, seemed like friendly rivalry, two people who were competitive with each other, and they were willing to exchange information on the elevator. That was in sharp contrast to anything involving this cybernetics factory, as it is evidently something that Rahlkann was wanted for a long time, and it is something that Phanza has been determined to keep from him. It's an odd thought that, so quickly, they've come from seeing if Rahlkann could get the drop on Phanza to a situation where the Operator would, most likely, die. I wasn't sure if that was revealing of the Sith or of human nature in general, that something as simple and primal as greed could destroy a professional relationship, perhaps even a friendship. In any case, that previous relation is probably why Phanza was willing to sit-down and speak with Rahlkann on his terms. I kept my opinions to myself, Phanza knew her dynamic with Rahlkann better than I, and I trusted she would do the right thing.

"Here, follow me to my private booth." Rahlkann led us into the cantina, leaving a stack of credits on the bar with a single fluid motion and heading straight to the booth. An interesting bit of slight-of-hand from the spy and a confident maneuver too, he didn't even need to ask for the booth, he just paid money for it and he took the booth for us. A circular booth around a table, where the human cyborg instantly took a seat. Phanza positioned herself opposite of Rahlkann, with me in the middle, and Schweva sat on the outside, the two of us boxing the Operator in. The two Neo-Revanite guards took their position outside as a scree slid out, closing the circle of the booth and providing us with privacy. Rahlkann dropped both his guns on the table and gestured for us to do the same. I glanced over at Phanza, seeing the Nautolan nod, then all of us put our weapons on the table, even Phanza's lightsaber. It was a barely hidden bit of symbolism, all of us putting our cards on the table. Rahlkann eyed our impressive arsenal before speaking "I gave you your information, it was good. What is the problem Phanza?"

"You asked for the location of the cybernetics factory. Letting you actually reach it was never part of the deal." Phanza countered, returning to her usual accent. The booth was built in a soundproofed way, ensuring that everything said in here will remain in here. The Nautolan explained just how bad the situation was for him "The cybernetics in that factory are old technology. You could get newer, lighter, cheaper bacta-injecting units made for yourself, made for your allies, for a lower price than it would take to render that facility useful. I'm not even conducting any research there, I have to focus my resources elsewhere, it's not worth it Rahlkann. I'm telling you this now because I don't want to cross a line between us: leave it alone."

"This isn't about me or my allies, this is about power. You are a Sith Lord, you have all of Taaszon's resources at our disposal, hell, you have me flanked by two of your apprentices right now, and you don't even use cybernetics for yourself. This is a matter of the balance of power. The Intelligentsia sees you hoarding all of this knowledge and all of these resources, and my superiors believe that we need to correct this imbalance. Taking control of this cybernetics factory will remove an ounce of power from your powerbase, and it will add it to the Intelligentsia, bringing us two steps closer to your level." Rahlkann explained, revealing what the real game was here. Phanza and I both thought this was about his own use, improving his cybernetics, but it never was, for six years, this has been about the Intelligentsia trying to grow stronger and improve its standing.

Phanza's a young rising star among the Sith, the heiress of the Line of Kallig, and Taaszon's main agent out in the galaxy. She represents a threat to the Intelligentsia and its autonomy, therefore, the organization as a whole wants to grow strong in comparison to her, and Rahlkann thinks the best way to do this is to bring Phanza down a peg, in favor of the Intelligentsia. The idea wasn't for Rahlkann to modify himself and his clique, it was for the Intelligentsia to possess this technology and the ability to develop it, it was about denying this possibility to Phanza, and I think that part of it was simply meant to be psychological. The Intelligentsia wanted to prove that they can be a threat to Phanza and, thus, to the highest levels of Taaszon. They were asserting their autonomy and making it clear that they couldn't just be subjugated and absorbed into the typical authority of Taaszon, and I could almost sympathize with that goal, even agree with it. The reason why I say almost though, is because Rahlkann is doing this at a time where the Empire is going after Taaszon.

The Intelligentsia may be trying to assert their autonomy, but, when it comes to a fight against the Empire, the Grand Duchy and the Intelligentsia would be fighting side by side. Now is not the time for infighting or trying to change internal balances of power, because, right now, any resource contested between Taaszon and the Intelligentsia risks being lost to both of all, falling into the hands of the Empire. I can understand Rahlkann and what he is doing, I can even say that, in many ways, it is commendable, but I cannot understand why he is doing it now and endangering all of us. Palpatine and Vader are too dangerous a threat to allow us to bicker amongst ourselves. These are the men that engineered the destruction of the Jedi Order and turned the Republic, which had been strong and stable for a thousand years under the Ruusan Constitution, into an autocratic Empire to the applause of the Senate. Palpatine made people cry out in joy and applaud as their rights were being taken away, we stand no chance against him if we cannot stand together.

"I see." Phanza replied to what Rahlkann said, herself taken aback. I glanced at her, seeing the Nautolan think about her reply, trying to figure out a way to present her arguments knowing Rahlkann's new motivation, but we never got to figure out what that was, as our meeting was interrupted by our Neo-Revanite guards beating on the side of the booth to get our attention, trying to overcome the soundproofing. We finally heard them and opened the booth, only two see two very panicked guards standing there in their robes, their pikes at the ready. They addressed Lady Tamat.

"Grandmistress! We need to leave! The Empire has arrived!" the guards warned. We all were pretty much in sync as we shot to our feet, gathering our weapons and preparing to make a swift exit. The cybernetics factory was located well underwater and hidden under a coral reef, it would still be there if we all left right now and left this matter to be solved at a different time. A more peaceful time, hopefully. I didn't want to be too optimistic and say that, pretty soon, the Empire will be toppled and we will be free to conduct business in the galaxy without looking over our shoulders, but there will be safer times in the future. Right now, Palpatine knows us and has made it clear we are his next target, once he solidifies his hold over the formerly separatist parts of the galaxy.

"The Empire?" Rahlkann asked, revealing that he was clearly not expecting this development. I didn't imagine that it was easy to fool a man who was both one of the Intelligentsia's top operatives and one of their spy coordinates, but he clearly didn't expect the Empire to arrive here. That made me feel worse than just the Empire showing up, because, once again, I felt like the Empire was always one step ahead of us, always knowing more than we did, and always capable of catching up with us. We weren't even attacking the Empire right now, we've barely even been on Nar Shaddaa for long, and the one public appearance we had only just happened, there is no way that this could be a response to that. I looked over to Phanza, hoping that the Nautolan had an answer.

"The spy Teeroshkin mentioned! She must have led the Empire here!" Phanza realized, picking up on a thread I hadn't even considered. That was the only thing that fit the timing correctly, after all, the spy had arrived on Manaan before Teeroshkin contacted us on Taaszon, giving the Empire more than enough time to organize a response. We cleared out of the booth as Phanza came up with a plan "Right, Zaliza, you and Schweva head to the hangar, remain undetected, but prep the _Chancellery_ for takeoff. Guards, we're going to the compound to make sure Teeroshkin disappears and no evidence is left behind of our presence. Rahlkann - " Phanza rattled off our respective roles before realizing that, at some point between us leaving the booth and her announcing the plan, the human cyborg disappeared. I watched as she grimaced "Nevermind, guards, take care of the compound yourselves, I'm going tot track down Rahlkann."

"Understood, mistress. Come on, Vyvienne." Schweva accepted the plan before pulling me by the wrist, falling back into our code names for the mission. I managed to pull my hand out of Zaranu'utthona'aphillii's grip, but I did follow her, after all, Phanza wanted us to get the ship running and ready for a quick escape. For a moment, I wondered what Phanza was going to say to Rahlkann, as she had instructions for him as well, but I didn't have much time to wonder, because, as soon as we exited the cantina, by mind was rendered silent. In the skies over Ahto City were three Venator-class star destroyers. Gunships and fighters filled the skies as well, some simply establishing aerial superiority, others ferrying troops to the surface. All around us, the people of Manaan, both foreigners visiting the city and the Selkath locals, were fleeing into their homes and hiding, having no idea what was happening, only being scared of being caught in the crossfire of it all.

Vader executing all of those spies on Coruscant with stunning precision should have served as a warning for this, but we didn't consider it properly, now, we were up against the overwhelming force of the Empire. The message in all of this was clear: those who spy on the Empire, those who try and stand against the power of Coruscant, and those who resist Palpatine's will shall all be eradicated.

"Vyvienne, come on, we need to get to the ship!" Schweva rushed me, pulling me along and bring me back down to earth. The oppressive numbers of the Empire and their strength was a frightening matter, but it would do us more good to get away from it than to simply gawk at it and wait to be destroyed. Thus, the Chiss woman and I made our way through the streets of Ahto City, our little rivalry forgotten in the name of mutual survival and a common goal. We had almost made it to the hangar when, all of a sudden, we nearly walked into two columns of clone troopers on patrol I had nearly rounded the corner before seeing them, and, out of either fear or because of seeing that familiar visor yet again, I froze up. I was sure I was about to be spotted when Schweva grabbed me and pulled me back around the corner. Hitting my head on the building the Chiss woman practically threw me against, I decided this wasn't my proudest moment. We were outnumbered and getting outmaneuvered, it was okay to be frightened, but I needed to focus on all this.

"They're coming this way, what are we going to do?" Schweva asked me, hoping that I had a plan for this. I should have a plan, I'm the more experienced one, the one that has traveled with Phanza for longer, and the one with her own experience from the Clone Wars, I should be doing better than this. Instead I'm scared of the Empire and I'm getting shown up by Phanza's new apprentice who practically just showed up out of nowhere. I have to be doing better than this. I need a plan. Alright, so, the streets of mostly grid based on wide, which isn't ideal, however, the grid design does mean that we can use parallel streets to outmaneuver these clones and find an alternate route to Phanza's private hangar, at which point... "Oh screw this, you're taking too long."

The last thing I had been expecting was for Schweva to wrap her arms around my neck and kiss me. My eyes widened and my arms moved to push her away, however, a swift but subtle kick to my leg told me to play along. Realizing that this was a ploy to let the clones pass us undetected, I played along. I don't think I looked very convincing with my eyes falsely shut to watch the clones as they marched past us and my hands dumbly floating over Schweva's hips to produce the illusion of intimacy, but, either due to Schweva's acting or clone ignorance, they walked past us without further investigation, continuing their sweep through the city. As soon as we were clear, Schweva released me, acted as if nothing happened, and continued heading towards the hanger. I followed the Chiss woman in her dress towards the Neo-Revanite hangar, but I wasn't quite able to let this go as easily.

"What was the meaning of that?" I whisper-yelled at Schweva, not much appreciating the fact that Schweva kissed me without my permission. This may also seem petty, and it's not supposed to have much meaning to a Jedi, but it also doesn't help that this was only my second kiss. The only person who kissed me before was Master Avdune and, based on our conversation in the cave, there was real meaning and feelings there, feelings between two young women in proximity to each other, sharing a bond, and having compatible sexualities. Now, Schweva, someone who I barely knew, took my second kiss and she did it in such a way that almost robbed the meaning of the first kiss. This one was meaningless and literally built on lies, done solely so we could get past some clones searching for a spy network. Perhaps it was petty and perhaps this wasn't the time for this conversation, but I was pushing it.

"I don't know!' Schweva whisper-yelled in reply, stress clear in her voice, and her explanation was equally brisk "I asked you about a plan and you weren't coming up with anything, so I panicked. I figured that these were all male clones, growing with an accelerated aging pattern at twice the speed, and forced to live under military discipline. I figured that, in that case, they would be uncomfortable with female sexuality, particularly between two women. Luckily for me, it worked out. My apologies if this made you uncomfortable, but I figured that gettign interrogated by clones and potentially shot at was worse."

"Okay, okay, sorry." I let it go as Schweva and I slipped into the hangar, recognizing that this so wasn't the time for this conversation. I was glad to avoid a fight here: I didn't want to kill clones, Schweva and I were armed with blaster and neither of us were dressed for combat - I was at least dressed practically, if not in the robes I prefer, but Schweva is dressed in an elegant Chiss dress that has no business in a fight - and, even if we were able to fight off this group of clones, they would only send in more clones. There were three star destroyers flying just over the city and, at least right now, they weren't actively coming down on us, that was pretty much the only thing that we could hope for right now. I scanned the hangar and made sure it was clear as Schweva hurried onto the _Chancellery_ and readied the ship. I joined her once I felt we were safe and the hangar was clear.

I entered the luxury craft to see that Schweva had just closed the door to her quarters, likely going to change into a more practical outfit for the flight back home. I couldn't blame her, at this point, we could consider our mission here over. Phanza's spy network suffered a setback, but the Neo-Revanites would reappear somewhere else and rebuild, we weren't able to secure the underwater facility, but it seems that Rahlkann hasn't been able to reach it either, and, while the Empire did arrive, Schweva and I seem to have been able to escape to the safety of our ship. Phanza will no doubt join us shortly. I sat down in the bridge, looking out the primary viewport window of Zapnha Tamat's personal yacht.

I noticed a few things in the next few moments. To the right, in the alcove of the hangar bordering the Neo-Revanite compound, I could see a number of their operatives and guards slipping out of the compound, some holding objects which could be damming pieces of evidence if caught, others just content to disappear. I watched as they disappeared into a secret doorway in the corner of the compound, likely leading to some sort of safehouse or just a place away from here where they could further split up and escape. Teeroshkin was the last one out of the Neo_Revanite compound, the hooded figure making sure everything and everyone was come before setting one final charge and grabbing a detonator. The door to the compound closed as Teeroshkin detonated a firebomb and disappeared into a tunnel. Anything that remained in the compound would be burned away before the Imperials arrived, while the outside would show no signs of damage. All the Empire would find was a burnt out building and a deserted hangar. Potentially they would see this was owned by Zapnha Tamat, but I think the Neo_Revanites hid their tracks better, there were likely a few false names, dead ends, and fall guys between this property and Zapnha herself.

The other thing I noticed was a modified LAAT gunship flying towards the public spaceport, this one an open variant, the kind used for taking AT-TE walkers into battle as such, but it was empty. I thought that was strange, but, before I could question too much, I saw that Schweva returned. I turned to see the Chiss woman now dressed in a black set of robes with blue trim, in the open waist, bare arms style that Phanza often wore. Schweva's hood was down, showing her black hair, a slight bluish tint to the otherwise midnight colored hair. It bothered me for two reasons: once again, in her dress, she was once again modeling herself off of Phanza, and, secondly: the Chiss woman was showing off how attractive she was. I didn't want Phanza to notice that, especially not when I didn't feel comfortable dressing in the same way.

"There's Phanza." she pointed out as the Nautolan finally slipped into the hangar, physically fine, but a worried expression on her face. Rahlkann was nowhere to be found. I turned back to the window and waited for her to come aboard as I saw the crane gunship emerge again, this time carrying a ship out of the spaceport. I noticed that the design looked rather Taaszon like as Phanza entered the cockpit.

"We need to get back to Taaszon as soon as possible. Rahlkann was compromised and killed before I could get to him. Now, the Empire has his ship and his wayfinder." Phanza revealed, the implication in her voice was clear. The Empire now had the means to get to Taaszon and the proof to justify it. They tracked a spy to Manaan and they found Rahlkann on the same world, the fact that those two events are coincidental doesn't matter to the Empire. It points a finger at Taaszon and gives Palpatine a justification of war to the Senate, not that he really needs one. The man was always going to attack Taaszon one he had the chance to, he would soon, and now, he has a way to the capital world as well as the outlying systems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ciao!


	22. Defenders of The Dark World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright everyone, building up to the big climax of act two now! There is a whole third act after this, it will be either ten or fifteen chapters in length, we'll see as my plans get more concrete.

Act II.

The Heart of Darkness.

Chapter XXII.

Defenders of The Dark World.

* * *

I stood in a crowd in Taaszon's capital city, Phanza and Grand Duchess Voytana herself standing on a public stage in front of us. This was probably the first time I saw the Sith Pureblood woman out of the throne room, but she didn't look any less impressive in such a public space. She wore a long, flowing robe with a gradient in the color, going from black to purple. This applied to both the sleeves which hung far beneath her hands, and the end of her robe which trailed behind her. A new black, purple, and gold headdress framed her face, bony red protrusions marking her alien appearance - how could I be a half of a Sith? I didn't look like that - while her black hair was tied into a bun behind the headdress. The other thing that was apparent about the Grand Duchess was that, even out here, her power was no less intimidating. It felt like a silent presence all around me, a heavy tension that could snap into action at any moment, with disastrous consequences. That power still made me feel uneasy, but, as I glanced at Schweva and Yevenna at either side of me, I didn't feel the same kind of fear. I felt a nervousness, sure, but that seemed more like the result of reverence rather than fear. The people of Taaszon were immensely loyal to Voytana.

"My subjects," the Grand Duchess began, addressing her people. In addition to perhaps a few hundred people gathered in this square at the foot of the stage, cameras were broadcasting these message all over the Grand Duchy of Taaszon, all of its worlds. I'm sure they were just as attentive as the crowd here, because even I knew that an address from the Grand Duchess like this was rare, especially seeing her out of the monolithic Citadel. She continued her speech "On a recent assignment on Manaan, an elite Intelligentsia agent, Operator Rahlkann, was compromised by the Empire. One of our spies on Coruscant, believing she had escaped the Empire's pursuit, returned to Manaan to be processed. The Empire sprung their trap and followed. Operator Rahlkann was caught and, despite my apprentice, Lady Attam's attempts, there was no way to reach Rahlkann without alerting the Empire to her presence. Lady Attam and her apprentices returned to Taaszon unharmed, but Rahlkann was killed and, as if that wasn't bad enough, his ship and, with it, his wayfinder, were taken. It is only a matter of time before Palpatine gets his hands on the wayfinder and sends an invasion fleet to Taaszon itself."

Voytana paused for a moment, letting the shocked whispers and reactions radiate through the crowd and beyond. The version of events she portrayed was mostly accurate, pardon a few liberties taken, such as leaving out why Rahlkann was on the world and why we pursued, but that didn't exactly matter to us right now, did it? None of us could have predicted that the Empire would be so close on the spy's trail and with such numbers, but we wouldn't have been in that position to begin with if he wasn't so dead seat on taking the cybernetics factory. I know now that it wasn't out of outright greed but, surely, after all these thousands of years, the Sith would have learned to save their infighting and internal politics for after the war, right? Apparently Rahlkann did not. Not even when the Empire arrived. Had he been slower, more careful, and abandoned any idea of getting to the cybernetics factory, he probably could have slipped onto his ship and escaped before the Empire got to him or his ship. Schweva and I got past the clones with only an admittedly extreme diversion.

"We are currently preparing plans for the defense of the capital world and the temporary evacuation of civilians during the conflict. We are doing everything we can be to a united, concentrated, and powerful force in the face of any Imperial aggression. To that end, we will be concentrating our fleet of Margraviate-class Super Dreadnoughts in the skies over Taaszon. The outlying systems, which the Empire already knows about, will have to be sacrificed. We do not have the resources to defend all these worlds at once, thus, we are doing everything to concentrate our defenses in front of Taaszon. The evacuation of the outlying planets is already underway. We believe that our worlds beyond Taaszon have not yet been discovered, so we are going to settle our refugees on those worlds for the time being. I understand that these policies are going to effect your everyday lives. I understand that many of our men and women will die in the struggle against the Empire. But I also understand that we are a proud people, a people who have stood on this planet for three thousand years. We will not let Palpatine change that!" Voytana declared, giving her plan and trying to rally the population.

The crowd did applaud, but it was a rather solemn occasion. The people knew what was at stake here, the people knew that there was nothing to be cheering over, and the people knew there was a high chance they could lose. I wasn't exactly going to tell this to the struggling people, but there was a very low chance of victory here, no, Palpatine would send overwhelming force. The Dark Lord of the Sith is more likely to simply orbital bombard the surface of Taaszon into molten dust than retreat in the event that we repel him. The force we encountered on Manaan was proof of that, if they sent that much after a spy, they're going to send infinitely more ships after a rogue Sith state, a competitor. I mean, Loukhamii is a largely rugged and barren world and the Empire still sent a space station and three star destroyers to crush their little resistance. I can only imagine the new force Palpatine will be sending there. Taaszon, meanwhile, has finally done enough to become Palpatine's priority: before, ships were diverted to Loukhamii, now though, now I could see the bulk of the Imperial navy coming here.

I also knew that, even after we escaped Taaszon, the Imperial navy would be relentless in pursuing us. The Empire would boldly send scouts out into uncharted space, forcing disposable servants out endlessly until they found something, and, when, not if, they did, the Imperial navy would utterly devastate it. One by one each world in the Grand Duchy of Taaszon would be found and crushed under Palpatine's might. The Grand Duchy of Taaszon might have been able to repel that separatist attack on their own, but they knew they didn't have the numbers for a prolonged conflict, so they reluctantly called on the Republic for help. Now, thanks in part to the actions of myself and Master Avdune, Palpatine is fully aware of Taaszon's ability to wage war. I can't believe how naïve we all were back then. Every single battle of the Clone Wars was just feeding Palpatine with data, hardening his clones, and tightening his control of the galaxy. Now, the clones I once considered my allies were the mindless tools of Palpatine's tyranny, about to conquer yet another part of the galaxy. Taaszon is a Sith state, an autocracy, and built on the hope that they would eventually get their revenge and conquer the galaxy, but that didn't mean that they were bad people. They are not, they don't deserve to just be destroyed by Palpatine.

"Zaliza." Schweva's voice cut into my increasingly despondent line of thinking. I shook my head and focused again as I realized the crowd was already dispersing, the people beginning to pack and make their preparations for the evacuation. They would need their documents, clothes, supplies, personal items, and however much of their stuff they could afford to carry, because they knew there was a chance we wouldn't be coming back here. Taaszon's forces would do everything possible to halt the Imperial navy and win back control of Taaszon, but it wouldn't make a difference. The Empire would just keep coming and coming until we were defeated. The problem here is that we really can't win, this isn't a matter of the cost of occupation or the value of the planet, this is a matter of eradicating enemies. The resistance on Loukhamii works because Loukhamii is only worth so much and, while Palpatine absolutely wants Loukhamii under his control, it isn't a priority. Taaszon will be a priority, Palpatine's faction of so-called pretenders will finally be able to destroy a rival faction. They will secure the future of the Sith.

"What?" I asked before I could get too carried away in my thinking again.

"Come on, Phanza is going to show us how we're going to evacuate." the Chiss replied, telling me the news I evidently missed. Right, I paid attention now. Phanza finished discussing things with Voytana and got down from the stage, meeting Schweva, Yevenna, Ceyla, and I. The older silver armored Mandalorian had been somewhere in the crowd as well, joining us after the speech. Phanza was going to show us the evacuation plan, which made sense, as we would likely be among those holding the line as the last of the people to evacuate escaped the Empire. I wondered exactly what would we be up against at that point. Overwhelming numbers of clone troopers was the obvious part, along with an armada of star destroyers, but what else would come? Would Vader be there? I suppose it's very likely, along with Inquisitors too, given that the Empire knew that they were dealing with Force users in significant numbers...and I suppose that meant there was a high chance that the Third Sister would be here as well. What about Palpatine himself? Would the Emperor and Sith Lord himself show up? Maybe he would, maybe he would decide that the purging of Sith rivals was a matter that demanded his personal attention.

"Follow the Wrath's Causeway from the square to the awaiting shuttles. They will be ferrying the people from the capital to the escape ships. A fleet of seven massive stealth craft, virtually undetectable, capable of maintaining a population of about a hundred thousand people each. This set of ships, called the Silent Fleet, is all that survives of the fleet that brought the Sith to Taaszon three thousand years ago. We haven't been able to reverse engineer cloaking technology on that scale since - in fact, we don't even know exactly how it works in those ships, only how to engage it - thus we decided that these ships were far too valuable to ever scrap. Voytana and I agree that a set of refugee ships like these are exactly what we need right now." Phanza explained as we boarded a shuttle and left to see this Silent Fleet. Ships large enough to hold a hundred thousand people is impressive enough, but the fact that these ships can cloak while doing it? Such technology is utterly unbelievable. No wonder these ships survived, even if they never thought they would have to use them again, they should be preserved for their scientific and technological value alone. Of course, the fact that we need them now makes them even more valuable.

"How are we going to divide the ships? The Mandalorians would prefer to share a craft." Ceyla asked, the Echani Mandalorian concerned with how her culture is going to cope with this evacuation. It was an understandable concern, if maybe a bit ill-timed considering we were all going to be fleeing for our lives in the Empire broke through our defenses and forced a mass evacuation, but still, understandable.

"We will try to divide up the ships appropriately before the invasion, making sure people are kept together and with their friends and family, but, once the Imperials start coming, we're putting people wherever there's room as quickly as possible." Phanza replied, giving a satisfactory and realistic answer. For the people who are packed and prepared before the Imperials come, such considerations can be made, but, once the battle actually breaks out, getting people on a ship is more important than getting them on the right ship. People could be moved and shuttled between the ships at a later date, once we were out of the Empire's grasp. Ceyla seemed satisfied with Phanza's answer as the shuttle flew over the snow-covered mountains of Taaszon and flew towards another valley in the distance. This second valley seems to be where these ships landed, or at least where they're currently being stored.

I looked out the viewport as we fled over the ships, seeing just one of these massive crafts reveal themselves. It almost seemed like a large rectangular frame with a triangle shaped tip, where the tip alone was wider and longer than a Venator-class star destroyer. I could now see how a hundred thousand people could fit in one of these things. All along the top of the ship, workers were already working on clearing ice and snow, as well as doing some service on the panels below. This was going to be the most extensive use these ships have received in three thousand years, Taaszon needed to be sure they were capable. The shuttle soon circled around while coming down, ending up in the hangar of the ship docking in one of the seemingly endless rows of shuttle docks. Workers were deployed all over this hangar too, doing repairs and building up infrastructure. They might have even built up this shuttle infrastructure.

"Lady Attam," a voice greeted as I turned to see a Chiss woman walked down the catwalk towards us, dressing in a form-fighting black outfit trimmed in purple with a matching cape, her purplish hair tied into a grand crown braid. A large yet elegant blaster pistol, similar to the model Phanza used on Loukhamii, sat on her hip, showing that this woman, an officer of some sort, was more than capable of action despite her grandiose appearance. She stopped in front of us before speaking "Admiral Wurra'thuundo'oma, at your service."

"Ah, Wurrathu, I was told you were in charge of this particular operation. How are things going?" Phanza asked, warmly conversing with her colleague. Admiral Wurra'thuuundo'oma, I believe I've heard Phanza mention her somewhere before, which just shows that Lady Attam has connections all over the Grand Duchy of Taaszon. Beyond that too, between the criminals she seemed familiar with and the implication that the Neo-Revanite enclave on Manaan is only one of many, Zapnha Tamat seems to have her fair share of contacts and connections as well. I glanced over at Schweva, the younger Chiss seemed a bit out of the loop, a testament to how she is both old and new to this world. The apprentice didn't know about the Admiral and was only just beginning to learn about the web of allies, pawns, and subordinates Phanza has throughout the galaxy. The two were also of the same species, but neither of them seemed particularly phased by that. I suppose being of the same species didn't really mean much, especially when that species was a plurality on this planet.

"We are having the ships prepared and brought up to full working order. The ships are now capable of accepting the shuttles, the cloaking systems are fully operational on all seven of them, and four of them are already hyperspace worthy." the admiral replied, giving an insight to just how complex their task was. I couldn't imagine that it was easy to get ships of this size up to that speed. The cloaking functions were working fine, which is great, considering that, according to what Phanza said, their scientists and engineers didn't actually know how the stealth technology works. Thus, presumably, if they don't know how it works, they wouldn't know how to repair it if it was damaged or simply malfunctioning. In any case, it seemed that we didn't need to worry about that.

"Good, me and some allies wanted to make sure everything was proceeding well on this end. In the event that the Imperials gain the upper hand in the space battle, we'll be holding the line in the capital city until the last shuttles evacuate. Our group, a few other defenders, and the Grand Duchess herself will be the last ones to evacuate. As soon as we're onboard, I need you to get these ships cloaked and off world." Phanza replied, giving the admiral more specific instructions. I wasn't surprised that we were part of the final group to be evacuated, in fact I expected as much, and I would assume some other familiar faces would be in that final group, such as Ruumshi, Avoine, and HK-107. Phanza's inner circle as well as the most elite and selfless fighters Taaszon could offer, those who were willing to stay behind for as long as possible and delay the Empire for long enough that the common people escape to the Silent Fleet.

"And in the event that you don't make it?" Wurrathu asked. I couldn't help but cringe, not only because of the content of the question, but because it was a very real concern that the Admiral was raising. Being in that final group, that last group that was going to hold the line, meant that we were potentially sacrificing ourselves to allow the others to escape so, even though we hoped to board the fleet before it left, there was a chance we wouldn't make it. If someone told me a year ago that I would be so willing to put my life on the line for the loyal citizens of a Sith state, I don't know if I would believe them. I mean, yes, I understand that, as a Jedi, I should defend anyone who needs it, but the Sith were always our enemy, the ones we were taught could never return, for their very existence was a threat to the Force. It's almost fascinating how far I've come because, right now, I don't even question the fact that I'm willing to risk my life for the people of Taaszon. These people weren't evil, they weren't being suppressed, they were Sith citizens by choice.

"Then I want you to take this." Phanza pulled a wayfinder out of her winter robes, a wayfinder I instantly recognized as the one that Master Avdune and I recovered from Count Dooku's facility on Ypherro. The one bit of leverage the Sith Lord had over his master was ours now, and it seemed like it could provide us with a more permanent solution that just hopping between the Grand Duchy's worlds until the Empire tracks us down. Wurrathu grabbed it as Phanza explained "This is an old, unchanged wayfinder, one that will point the way to the lost Sith capital of Dromund Kaas. If Taaszon falls, then escaping the Grand Duchy entirely might be the best choice we have, fleeing to a planet far beyond the space Palpatine will search. If the last shuttle doesn't arrive and you can't reach me or Voytana, then leave. Take the people to Dromund Kaas, that's probably the safest place left for us in the galaxy."

"Yes, of course. Lets hope that won't be necessary though." the Chiss Admiral replied, trying to bring the conversation back to a positive note after getting instructions in the event of a disaster. To that end, she continued, referencing an earlier encounter between the two "After all, you still owe me two spies."

"Yes, yes I suppose I do." Phanza accepted with a smile, the Nautolan apparently enjoyed reminiscing with the admiral, the two having worked together before. Phanza's network of allies and contacts was something I could never have imagined for myself. The first time I meant her, on that landing platform on Coruscant, she already made a statement about herself: with Ruumshi, Avoine, HK-107, and Ceyla Ordo, Phanza already showed that she was no ordinary Sith. Lady Attam was not some vindictive woman who only cared about herself and served herself, she was a woman with friends and allies of every walk of life imaginable. That's what makes her so dangerous and unpredictable enemy. Phanza had all of the deadliness of a typical Sith Lord without the predictability that came with it - we couldn't simply count on her being as evil and self-prioritizing as possible - and her behavior demonstrates that. The Imperial raid on Nar Shaddaa would have turned into an all out fight with anyone else, but Phanza managed to slip us out without bloodshed. She also managed to navigate us through our alliance with the Loukhamii resistance, despite lies on both sides and her own anger at that time. In short, Phanza is a remarkable creature and that is why I'm willing to follow her.

If I'm being honest, I'm willing to do more than just follow her at this stage. I know the Empire is coming, I know that there is a chance both of us are going to die in the defense of Taaszon, and I know that I have been feeling incredibly jealous ever since Schweva became Phanza's apprentice. I'm not the same woman I was when I got to Taaszon, I'm not the same girl i was when I was a Jedi, and, even though I want to make sure Ullara's sacrifice is not in vain, I've heard it from her spirit itself that she doesn't expect me to rebuild the Jedi all on my own. I am free to follow my own path now and, even though I'm not exactly sure what that path is going to be, I know I want to learn from Phanza, formally. Padawan, apprentice, pupil, whatever label you want to put on it, I don't care, I only know that I want more with Phanza Attam. I don't just want us to die with me and her being travelling companions.

"Okay, I have done everything I need to do here." I was interrupted form my line of thinking as Phanza spoke again, this time to Yevenna, Ceyla, Schweva, and I. I quickly composed myself and listened "Lets get back to the capital now. You all know how we'll be conducting the retreat, now we just need to be prepared for it. Rest up, maybe begin packing, and prepare yourselves for the coming battle. The Empire is not going to make it easy for us, believe me. Palpatine wants to do the same thing that he did to the Jedi Order here, he wants to purge the Sith, all of us. Any Force user that can be a threat to him...honestly, anyone who could be a threat to him under any circumstances. Palpatine is an extreme threat and we cannot afford to underestimate him."

We boarded the shuttle again, silently this time, left to ponder Phanza's words. Her words very much echoed my thoughts, how none of this was permanent, and how we could all be killed as soon as a few days from now. That was a terrifying thought, and it only drove my need to take things further between Phanza and I, I didn't just want us to die being this vague pair of partners. I wanted our relationship to mean something, to be something like the bond between a master and an apprentice. Perhaps my actions are being influenced by what happened with Master Avdune and the kiss, but I didn't want to let Phanza die before we could move beyond this, because I wanted more.

Maybe the situations aren't exactly comparable. Maybe I don't think that my bond with Phanza will either be able to truly replicate my bond with Ullara Avdune - I'll never again have the experience of being trained for the very first time, that is something that only Ullara will have with me - but it's definitely the closest bond I have to my bond with my former master. There may not be any kiss to muddy the waters further, at least not yet, but that doesn't change the ferocity of my feelings. I can't just let one of us die without actually getting to become Phanza's student. Thus, to that end, I was going to confront her tonight, I was going to tell her what I wanted, and I was going to call her my master. Whether that was as a Sith, a Jedi, or as something else entirely, it didn't matter, all that mattered to me is that I was going to be learning from her.

* * *

I entered Phanza's room in Castle Attam. The door opened for me without a problem - I wasn't sure if that was because her door always opened automatically or if it was something she set for me specifically - and I walked in. This was the lower part of Phanza's quarters, the hallway built around the water tank; she had shown me it before, when we discussed Sith philosophy. Entering her room from her turned out to be a good idea, as I found Phanza swimming in the tank. I stopped for a moment and simply looked at Lady Attam in her natural habitat. Dressed in nothing but a two piece black bathing suit, she floated there in the water, long red legs extending out, her toes floating dangerously close to the volcanic vents, but it didn't seem to bother her at all. My eyes found their way back up, coming up her endless legs to her wide hips, which then narrowed inwards into a waist that was almost annoyingly tight. My eyes stayed on her stomach for a time, and I think it's fair to say I felt more than envy when looking at her figure.

I've seen Phanza wear midriff bearing outfits before, but even those were relatively modest compared to the swimsuit she was wearing now, which was little more than a black bra - and I admit that I blushed. Trying not to get too embarrassed, I turned my attention to her arms, following her arms - which were simultaneously toned and lithe - a telling combination of graceful beauty and hidden strength. Then I came to her fingers, observing the little movements of her red digits as they floated in the water, savoring her own little aquatic environment. My eyes came back up to her neck, thin, and probably the only part of Phanza that you could call vulnerable, not that she would ever give anyone the chance to abuse that weakness. Above the neck was her face, her black, glassy eyes were closed as she simply floated their in the water, in abject serenity.

The closed eyes and the small smile on her face made Phanza appear almost peaceful, even with the sharp black tattoos coming up her head-tails and framing her face. They were aggressive tattoos, born from the Twi'Lek slave culture that Darth Imperius was born in, but that aggression, suffering, and perseverance to survive seemed foreign to Phanza right now. Then, behind Phanza, her head-tails floated in the water, not carried by any current, simply floating according to Phanza's will. I wasn't sure if it was down to the Force or muscles in her own biology, but, the way he head-tails were moving in the tank, it definitely seemed to be her doing. I must have let out a gasp as I looked at this site, both incredibly alien and magnificently beautiful. This was a reminder that, despite Phanza being humanoid and acting so human, she was actually very different to me biologically, but that didn't make what I was seeing any less remarkable. Phanza was a Nautolan, an aquatic species, and this was her as nature intended, and I had to admit I was reveling in the site.

Whether I gasped, made another sound, or simply because she finally noticed my presence, Phanza opened her eyes. The large glossy black eyes seemed surprised, but only for a moment. The Sith Lord shot me a soft smile before swimming up to the top of the tank. I quickly snapped out of my stunned state and ran up the stairs - two staircases framed the center of the tank, the water continuing behind them - emerging in Phanza's actual room. I looked around for a moment, the second story exit was behind me, the pool of the tank was to my left, and a little living room section sat on the right side of the room. A closet sat next to the living room and a bathroom was further along the wall here on the left side. Phanza's bed, black with red sheets, sat at the center of the rear wall, tall windows on either side faced the snow-covered mountains. Phanza emerged from the pool next to me, climbing out of the tank, instantly becoming just the perfect amount of wet. Her skin was glistening with water, yet not a drop fell from her as she emerged to a full standing height. As if that wasn't impressive enough, with barely a glance, Phanza raised her arm and pulled a silky black bathrobe from her closet, wrapping it around her.

"Hello Zaliza," Phanza greeted as if it was nothing, acting completely nonchalant and unbothered. I had come here to take control for once in her dynamic, to declare that I was now going to be her apprentice, but, despite that, Phanza still instantly took control of the situation. It didn't matter that this had been her space, it didn't matter that I had entered as she had been in her tank, perhaps meditating, perhaps simply enjoying being in her natural habitat, she was going to appear perfect, nonplussed, and confident. That was both a bother and a motivator, as paradoxical as it seemed. It bothered me because I was supposed to be seizing what I wanted, asserting that I wanted to be her apprentice, that I wanted to have the same attention that she gave Schweva, and it was going to be harder to make demands when she instantly sunk into a position of bother. The motivating part of all this, however, was that this confident, in-control, and effortlessly powerful woman was exactly who I wanted to be my master. Sure, I was going to be asserting myself now, but, I suppose, the whole point of this was to end up in a subservient position, after all, I was demanding to become her pupil. Thus, I decided the easiest way to do this was just to outright say what I wanted.

"I want to train under you. I want to be your apprentice. The same way that Schweva is learning from you now." I declared, stating exactly what I wanted. I'm sure it would be a little bit different than that, after all, I was already a trained Jedi and I was seemingly on the verge of becoming a Knight, but I still wanted this. It's also not like Schweva is a complete novice, after all, based on the kinds of trials she underwent at the Sith Academy and what she's done since, she's not that different than me in terms of skills. This training alongside each other thing will work, and it means I will get to be Phanza's focus once more. Schweva arrived and upset our dynamic, but now I was going to make sure I got just as much attention as she did, if not more.

"You want to train as a Sith? Is that what you want?" Phanza asked, trying to find out precisely what I wanted, a question I didn't even fully now the answer to. That being said, the fact that she was asking that only reinforced my decision more. Phanza's learned from the time that she tried to expose me to the Sith texts, she knows that I'm still not entirely comfortable with the Sith, so, if I am going to do this, she wants to make sure that it's something that I really what. The fact that she's concerned enough to ask such a question shows that Phanza really does care, and it is yet another one of the thousands of pieces of evidence showing that Lady Attam is not the typical Sith the Jedi have fearmongered about. Phanza can be a violent, angry, and ruthless woman, the absolute worst woman to have as an enemy, but she is also a caring, compassionate, understanding, and indeed loving woman as an ally. Most Sith would leap at the chance to turn a Jedi into a Sith apprentice, in fact, for the longest time I believed that is what Phanza was doing, but now that the opportunity is right in front of her, she's hesitating. She's hesitating because of me, she has absorbed every concern I've had with the Sith and taken it to heart.

"Look, do we have to put labels on it? The Sith stuff...I don't know about it, I don't even know if I still agree with the Jedi stuff at this point. All that I'm really sure about right now is that I want to train under you. I want you to teach me what you do, how you fight, how you operate. I want you to help me reach the peak of my own power and abilities. I want to see the proud smile of a successful master on your face." I explained, practically babbling by the end. I wanted to share my feelings with Phanza, telling her everything except the jealousy about Schweva - that part might not exactly present the best side of myself, admittedly - and hoping that she would accept me as her apprentice. I hoped that Phanza would be willing to accept my ideological caveat. I knew that it was okay for a Sith Lord, especially one of Phanza's status, to take multiple apprentices, but I didn't know if she personally was willing to teach an apprentice without training her as a Sith. I was admittedly asking for something which has never really happened before, basically a whole different way of training an apprentice just for me. I knew that Phanza Attam was capable of a lot, but I wasn't sure if she would accept this, at least not right now with an Imperial invasion coming.

"You're asking me to do something rather unique to this situation, you know." Phanza replied, her pensive tone indicating exactly what I feared. I felt a sinking feeling in my chest, not just sadness because I wasn't going to get what I wanted, but also the intense pain of rejection. I wasn't sure why my immediate reaction was so visceral, but I tried to keep a professional face despite my own disappointment, though, even then, I think I felt my shoulders sink and my facial expression soured. Nevertheless, Phanza continued, ignoring my predicament "However, you are a strong and powerful woman, the kind of woman I would love to have as an apprentice, and someone who I have been trying to convince of this for a long time. You are the last vestige of Sith blood in the galaxy, you are incredibly capable besides that, and you have proven yourself to be a very, very important ally in the months we've shared together. Therefore, despite how much you're asking me to adjust the training for your circumstances, I am willing to accept. Please kneel."

I knelt down in front of Phanza, both legs down on the ground and bent as I sat on top of them, taking the position allowed by my robes. Sith robes were surprisingly light and mobile, far less constrictive than I would have expected, but I wasn't actually going to have one leg out in front of my and another behind me in the typical kneeling position. I looked up at Phanza for a moment, but she gave me a look, telling me to bow my head. I did so, lowering my head and facing the ground, likely as a symbolic act of deference. Phanza ignited her lightsaber, red and black ignited igniting in front of me, emerging from her unique curved-hilt blade. I've only seen a few of such lightsabers in my time - Count Dooku used one, and his Dark Jedi assassin, Ventress, used a pair of them while still in his service - but Phanza's blade is definitely the one I've becoming the most familiar with. Perhaps due to that familiarity, maybe because of my trust of Phanza, or maybe it's both of them, but I didn't even flinch as Phanza brought the blade to my blade. It came around my head and down onto the other shoulder, knighting me, making me her apprentice. I finally looked up as Phanza raised her lightsaber and deactivated it. It was over, just like that, she was my master.

"What is thy bidding, my master?" I asked, the words naturally flowing out of my mouth. Phanza smirked as she looked down at me, seeing my purple eyes finally submitting to her, seeing me finally become her apprentice. Everything she had been working for had been realized and, the best part of all of it was that it was my choice. This wasn't me falling to the Dark Side and becoming a Sith, nothing quite that dark, no, this was me deciding to learn from someone who I found smart, influential, and incredibly powerful. This was my decision, this was me using an agency I never had with the Jedi. I don't just mean the fact that I was taken in by the Jedi as a child, before I even really knew what was going on or who I was, but I mean the fact that I was forced to fight a war without my consent, told to fight for the Republic because the Council had decided it. Now, I was fighting a war against the Empire because I decided it, because I decided that I didn't want the galaxy to be under Palpatine's thumb, because I decided that resisting was worth it, and because I decided to keep going even when Master Avdune herself has sacrificed herself and been killed. I'm deciding to be an apprentice this time. Not Phanza, not the Jedi Council, not the Sith, no one is influencing my decision but me.

"Arise, my apprentice." Phanza simply replied, giving me permission to rise and leave. I would return to my room and begin making preparations for the Imperial attack, like Phanza told us to earlier, only now, I'll be doing it as her student, her responsibility, her apprentice. I had no idea what the actual battle was going to look like, no idea if either of us were going to survive, let alone both of us, but...at least, at least if it all goes wrong, and I don't survive the battle, I'll be able to say that I was Phanza's apprentice before I died. Content with that realization, I left Phanza's room and headed back to my quarters, or, at least, that is what I intended to do. My plans were sidetracked when, the moment I left Phanza's room through the upper door, I came face to face with Schwevaa'aphere'enda, Phanza's other apprentice and my new equal. She wasn't going to be Phanza's sole focus anymore, she wasn't going to be able to call her mistress while I had nothing else to call Phanza but her name and her title, and she wasn't going to be the one apprentice anymore.

"Well, well Schweva, what are you doing here?" I asked, admittedly letting smugness fill my voice. Strictly speaking, I don't think Sith apprentices were allowed to listen in on their master's conversations, at least not without their permission. I very much doubt Phanza gave Schweva any such permission before getting into her tank, no, I think that she was spying on the two of us. That made me feel somewhat more justified about my petty jealousy, considering that the Chiss woman seemed to be the very same way about me, seeing me as a rival to Phanza's attention and praise. I could kind of emphasize with Schweva in that regard, after all, she was now going to be matched up against someone who has already received training in the Force, someone who was nearly a Jedi Knight. I've turned myself into a difficult target for the Chiss woman to match herself against. That being said, there was more to the story than this. Phanza was smart enough to realize that Schweva didn't have the prior training and experience that I did, she wasn't expecting Schweva to match me, just like she hadn't expected Schweva to beat her in a duel. Not only that, but this wasn't just about Schweva succeeding, this was also about what I wanted, and I wanted to train under Phanza.

"Why are you making this so complicated on Lady Attam? Why not just become a Sith?" Schweva asked, trying to take control of the narrative, shifting the subject back onto me and starting to walk, forcing me to move away from Phanza's door to follow her. Schweva was still seeing this as a competition so, to make up for her perceived disadvantage in ability, she was trying to take control in our dynamic. By presenting herself as confident, in control, and somewhat aloof, she was trying to do two things, one: be more like Phanza, and two: trying to demoralize me. The whole idea was that, by presenting this bold facade, I would be intimidated, I would think Schweva was more than she was, ans I would struggle to match her skills. That idea, however, didn't work when I knew that Schweva was putting up a facade, when I knew that Schweva was an acolyte, and when I knew that she was very much intimidated by me, especially now with me becoming Phanza's apprentice. At the same time, however, I would be lying if I said her question wasn't valid, touching on the very same concerns that made me fear Phanza's rejection. Not that I was going to let that show, the last thing that I needed was Schweva knowing she hit a nerve.

"I'm not making this complicated on her. She's wanted me as her apprentice since before you've even shown up on her radar. All I did was give her the conditions I wanted in order to become her apprentice." I responded, presenting a version of the truth. I wasn't aware of how long Phanza has been looking for a Sith apprentice, but she has framed it is a result of our missions together, therefore, the earliest it presumably could have been was after Nar Shaddaa. That came long, long after Phanza and I came into contact with each other, long after this bond formed between us, and long after I started suspecting Phanza was trying to turn me into her apprentice. The truth may be a bit more complicated and layered than what I've said, but the point remains, Phanza wanted me as an apprentice, for a long time now, and now I've become her apprentice, just without fully embracing the ways of the Sith. As far as Schweva was ever going to know, this was a reasonable compromise, not me practically begging to Phanza to become her second apprentice.

"We both know that's a lie." Schweva called my bluff "I overheard the conversation and I can tell you for a fact that is not what happened. You want to be her apprentice, you want to learn our ways, appropriate our culture, but you refuse to take on our beliefs. You are wearing Sith robes on a Sith planet learning from a Sith Master, and you still won't accept our beliefs because of some archaic stigma born of the Jedi. Why?"

"Because I don't believe it. All I ever wanted as a Jedi was peace. I didn't think we should be fighting the war, I didn't think it was easy to ignore all the death and killing just because it was clones and droids, and I didn't think we were pursuing justice and equality in the galaxy." I explained, alluding to the difficulties I had with the Jedi while I was a member of the Order. Fighting the war, blindly serving the Republic, allying with the Hutts...none of that was right. We sacrificed everything we believed in to serve Palpatine's interests, falling exactly into the place he needed us to be in order to eradicate us. I didn't want to dwell on that though, I've gone through these memories before and it's nothing but painful. Instead, I continued my response to Schweva "I can't just go from that to rejecting peace. The belligerent nature, the focus on strength and the rejection of the weak, and the dominance of Force users over everyone else. I just can't commit to that. I know that Taaszon is a very, very tolerant and positive version of the Sith, but I can't just accept all of it."

"So you think you're superior then? You think the Jedi are better than that? You've said it yourself that the Jedi were consumed by war in the Clone Wars, clouded in darkness and all that. Then, on the holonet reports, it was always the strong Jedi, wasn't it? Anakin Skywalker? Mace Windu? Obi-Wan Kenobi? They seem pretty strong and notable to me, I don't think I heard about any failed Padawans turned mess hall workers or librarians. Every society favors the strong, it is simply in our nature - we are predisposed towards being drawn to power, wealth, and physicality. That isn't unique to the Sith. As for dominance of Force users, I don't remember the Jedi Temple being a humble and purposeful structure amongst the common people. No, it was a shining, isolated grand temple on the uppermost levels of Coruscant, among the wealthiest galactic elite. Mostly humans too, come to think of it." Schweva countered, delivering a vicious and painfully accurate critique of the Jedi, countering each and every criticism I gave of the Sith. Fortunately, in the process, she completely missed the point of my argument.

"Yes, you're right. All of that is precisely why I was unhappy with the Jedi during the war. Like I said, if I was unhappy with that, how am I ever going to be happy with the Sith? Besides, I don't think you're being fair to me. I haven't once denounced your way of life or said that Taaszon should do things different, I've only said that I don't want it for myself. Ever since I've gotten to Taaszon, I haven't once asked you or Phanza or anyone else to be a Jedi, I haven't tried to force a republican way of government onto anyone, and I haven't said anything about Dark Side abilities. In fact, I've been using Dark Side abilities myself." I corrected her before changing the subject, pointing out that she really has no reason to be mad at me. I haven't done anything to say she shouldn't be a Sith, I haven't told her to stop using the Dark Side, and I haven't disparaged her for believing in autocracy, all I've done is try to live up to my own values. Values which I don't think are all that different from Taaszon's. Fundamentally, we can work together just fine, our dynamic is fine without me being a Sith, and I don't really understand why Schweva is so adamant about me becoming one. If anything, I would think it was in her own self-interest for me not to be a Sith.

Think about it, so long as Schweva alone is a Sith, then she's Phanza's real apprentice. Schweva will be the heir to the Line of Kallig and all of that, she'll be the product of the first or second most important lineage in Taaszon, a line of masters and apprentices that, a number of times, has intersected with the lineage of the Grand Dukes and Duchesses. Voytana herself is a product of both, her parents belonging to the Sith Pureblood ruling class of Taaszon and her master being a member of the Line of Kallig. The Line will continue to Phanza and then to Schweva. If I become a Sith, however, then I win out on seniority, and the main branch of the Line of Kallig would continue through me to any theoretical Sith apprentices of mine. I don't understand why me becoming a Sith is so important to her, especially considering that Schweva has basically only just shown up in my life, barely knowing me.

"Right, because you're so perfect." Schweva replied, immaturely scoffing at my rant about bow I never questioned the Sith of Taaszon and tried to be as accommodating as possible, despite my alternate viewpoint. I never claimed to be perfect, all I claimed was that I was not judging why she wasn't a Jedi, so she shouldn't be judging why I'm not a Sith. That being said, if she didn't want to be civil about this, then I have some ammunition I've been saving for awhile as well. Ullara probably wouldn't be proud of me stooping to Schweva's level, but that didn't really matter to me right now.

"You know, there is something off about you Schweva. You're spying on your master and I is bad enough, but this is coming up after that suspicious alias you produced out of thin air for Manaan. Zaranu'utthonna'aphillii, what was that about?" I asked. I had intended to get a rise out of her, bringing up that odd incident from before our mission to Manaan and, based on how she tensed up in response, I got what I wanted. That being said, Schweva did recover quickly enough, stopping, putting up a professional face, and facing me in the middle of a hallway in Castle Attam.

"If you must know, Schwevaa'aphere'enda is not my birth name. It was a new name, a title of sorts, bestowed upon me back when I was discovered to be a Force sensitive. It's a sort of cultural honor that has developed amongst the Sith of Taaszon, the fusion of our own culture and the high status of the Sith in Taaszon. I learned this custom from another Sith Chiss woman, Zaranu'utthonna'aphe, who was an Overseer at the Exavellos Academy when I was younger. Then she died. Zaranu'utthonna'aphillii means her pupil or student. It was a way of showing respect to someone who was important to me who I lost, while providing a suitable and proper Chiss name to anyone who would look into my alias. Are you satisfied?" Schweva replied, explaining what now seemed to be a rather personal part of her culture and history, something which admittedly made me feel guilty for asking. I noticed that this meant that neither of them were actually her birth name, but I wasn't exactly going to try and learn that now, the Chiss is angry enough at my prying.

"I'm sorry." I replied, not knowing what else to say, just knowing that I dug too deep with all of this and struck a nerve with Phanza. The imaginary Ullara in my head was right, I shouldn't have stooped to her level, because now all I've done is hurt her and made her resent my presence here even more. I should have done better, I should have tried to extend an olive branch rather than bickering with her like a child.

"You should be." Schweva briskly replied before turning around and marching down the hall the other day, towards her room. I was half-tempted to follow, to try and patch things up between us, but I knew now was too early. If I tried right now it wouldn't work, Schweva doesn't want to deal with me right now, no, she wants to left alone so that she can bury her past again and get painful memories out of her mind. Letting go, I decided to just head back to my room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The calm before the storm - ciao!


	23. Invaders of The Empire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright everyone, the build-up is here.

Act II.

The Heart of Darkness.

Chapter XXIII.

Invaders of the Empire.

* * *

"Pass me the uhh...the sparky, weld-y thing, with the red handle and the trigger, the one I need for - ugh, you know what it is." Yevenna stammered as I used the Force to levitate the red-handled plasmatorch over to her. I then turned back to applying my own very limited technical skills to the calibration, setting the targeting computer to hit LAAT gunship, ARC fighters, Venator Star Destroyers, and anything else the Empire could bring to Taaszon. I still wanted to help but, after properly embarrassing myself when it comes to Schweva, I asked Master Attam if I could assist the Mandalorians in arming the defenses of their enclave. Phanza accepted, and now here I was helping Yevenna Aphlen set up surface-to-air defenses along the perimeter of the Mandalorian compound. I added a few more obscure Republic and Jedi air vehicles just in case as Yevenna made her way around the base of the structure with the torch before declaring "Base secured!"

"Targeting computer should be operation - lets see if this works..." Welded to the ground and the targeting computer manually and meticulously picked out to avoid friendly fire, everything on this turret should work. Nevertheless, I felt nervous as I wanted for Yevenna to circle around on the other side, waiting until she was ready. I heard three knocks on the opposite side of the turret and then Yevenna and I pulled the two master switches on either side, watching the turret fire up into existence. I smiled softly at the success while Yevenna raised her arms and cheered, satisfied to have finished off another turret. I packed up the pools while Yevenna used her jetpack to fly over to the trolleys of disassembled turrets...after all that would we would be starting from scratch all over again.

We weren't the only ones working on defenses. All around us the hum of jetpacks, plasmatorches, and activating targeting computers filled the air. At the same time, other Mandalorians were working on moving cultural artifacts, databanks, and training materials out of the enclave, trying to get everything out to the Silent Fleet now before the mass evacuations. Once the Imperial invasion started, we would not be bringing any more things, only people. Hence, the strong emphasis on getting stuff onboard the ships now rather than later. This activity wasn't just limited to the Mandalorian enclave, all across the capital city and, indeed, Taaszon, people were packing their things, arming defenses, and all around just preparing for an invasion. We all knew what was going to happen, the Empire was going to slam against Taaszon with overwhelming force and, despite our best efforts, we would be pushed back. Despite our best efforts, we would not stand a chance of retaking this world. Despite our best efforts, our only option seemed to be to abandon the Grand Duchy entirely and flee to Dromund Kaas, as Phanza and Admiral Wurra'thuundo'oma were already intending.

"Alright, ready to go, can you do the Force thing? Well...obviously you can, but...could you? That's correct right? Ceyla said I should work on my speech, I guess it's unbecoming of a Mandalorian to seem like dumb muscle." I tried to hide a giggle at the fact that, despite everything, Yevenna was still her same old self. Some people would think this was her being immature or naive considering the present circumstances, but I didn't think so, I think that Aphlen fully understands the weight of the situation in front of us. In fact, I think the rambling and stammering is her reaction to that, showing that she's nervous and scared and trying to keep up a brave face despite that. There was nothing dumb or immature about Yevenna, she was simply a regular person who had complex emotions and was expressive about them, sure she was talkative and high-pitched, and that didn't necessarily produce a threatening image, but she didn't need to present that image, because she was more than capable of winning any fight you put her in.

"Yes, of course." I replied and...did the Force thing. I lifted the large frame pieces and tabbed them together into place, the base plate on the ground, the rotational piece for the body, the electronics inside, and the frame pieces around it, the other rotational pieces for the turret, the actual guns, and then the armored cover for the turret. Yevenna still needed to make the connections on the electronics, weld or screw everything into place, and fuse the base to the ground while I armed the turret on the computer, but doing this bit with the Force saved us a lot of time and manual labor. I waited for Yevenna to handle the electrics - I couldn't exactly used the targeting computer until it was attached to the turret's power supply - standing there in the grand courtyard of the Mandalorian enclave, with the fountain in the center. The actual city of Taaszon was rather beautiful, various architectural styles blending together, and all of it kept in pristine condition by the government. I can't say I was a fan of the massive monolith always blocking a piece of the sky, but I had to admit the sheer scale of the tower, figuratively and damn-near literally reaching out to space, was impressive and awe-inspiring.

"Zaliza Vyvan?" speaking of the Citadel monolith, I turned to see one of the black and purple armored Citadel guards summoning me. I faced him skeptically, wondering what was going on, and what they wanted from me. Hoping to find out, I nodded to identify myself and the guard continued "Would you please come to the Citadel? Grand Duchess Voytana wants to see you."

"Oh...umm, yes, of course." I accepted, not really sure if I could refuse this. Voytana wanted to see me, me specifically, without Phanza, and I really didn't know how to react to that. Seeing some sense just before I numbly wandered off to the monolith, I turned back to Yevenna "Hey...are you going to be okay Yevenna? I'm not sure how long I'm gonna be gone."

"Oh, it's alright, I'll just ask Ceyla or one of the other Mandalorians to help me out, it's fine. I mean, you're going to see the Grand Duchess, I kinda understand." Yevenna replied, her answer just showing how deferential the people of Taaszon were to their monarch. I didn't think that Yevenna would have to finish up all alone anyway, but it was still interesting how she just completely accepted that I needed to go. I guess this is just another example of Taaszon's people being happy with their way of life. At one point, it would have been unthinkable for me to think that an advanced society would be completely content to live under autocracy, yet, since I've come to Taaszon, I've been surprised again and again. What is the moral here, that autocracy is okay? Ugh, I cringed at that, I wasn't going to say that, I don't think I was ever going to be ready to say that, but...I think I can say that forms of government and ways of life that I consider correct are not universal standards. The people of Taaszon don't seem to want a republic.

I followed the guard to the monolith, moving through the active streets of Taaszon. All around me the preparations for war were in full swing - houses being emptied of all their possessions, families beginning their evacuations, and weapons and defenses were being set up all around the capital city - everything was being done to do as much damage to the Imperial invasion force as possible. We knew that the Empire's numbers and forces would take the capital one way or another, but, by maximizing damage and making Taaszon a fortress, we can delay the Imperial conquest. The longer that it took the Empire to occupy Taaszon, the more time the rest of the Duchy had to join the exodus - to either board the Silent Fleet or accompany it, as the other worlds of the Grand Duchy haven't been discovered yet - it would also make it harder for Palpatine to justify the cost of further war.

This was a vendetta and Palpatine was going to use deadly force to squash this threat to his power, but once we disappeared to the lost world of Dromund Kaas, Palpatine would truly have no idea where we were. He would have to balance the cost of searching the entire known galaxy and beyond against his concerns within his own borders. Palpatine is truly a magnificent and evil creature in charge of the largest entity the galaxy has ever known, but even his new Galactic Empire doesn't have unlimited resources. The people of Taaszon will be safe after this battle, and every bit of damage we do to the Imperial invasion force will leave them even safer and even better off. The strength the Grand Duchy was putting into its defense was exemplified by the electromagnetic railgun some Chiss soldiers were moving past us, able to throw deadly bolts and explosives at the Empire at amazing speed, perhaps even just below the speed of hyperspace, inflicting devastating damage at relatively low cost. The defense is going to be a brutal struggle but, before that, I have to meet with Grand Duchess Voytana. I entered the monolith and boarded the elevator, wondering what I was going to encounter.

It was a long ride up, ascending above the city, above the mountains, and indeed even above Castle Attam. Spending that long in the elevator, left me thinking about what I was going to face when I saw Voytana. I knew that I was going to feel the compressing, oppressing feel of her power, that was the only constant and, whether it was real or merely an imagined effect produced by fear, I already started to feel that increasing weight and that hopelessness bearing down on my shoulders. It felt like I was being given two options, to either kneel down and submit or to curl up in a ball and die, neither of those felt particularly appealing at this juncture. I was also going to need to do this without Phanza, which was concerning for a number of reasons.

First of all, I didn't have the support that Phanza gave me, I was going to be meeting Voytana alone. Second of all, Phanza knew Voytana for longer than I did, I mean, she was her apprentice, without her, I didn't know what to expect from Voytana, I didn't know what the Grand Duchess wanted or what I was supposed to say. Was I supposed to bow? Was this an official meeting or just a private conversation? What did I do to warrant this. That brought up the third reason why I wanted Phanza: she was my master now if, for whatever reason, I was in trouble with Voytana, I feel like Phanza should be the intermediary, the one who should deem what punishment was necessary and dole it out. I wasn't going to have that this time, I would have to confront the Grand Duchess herself. I still didn't know what was going on or why I was being requested when the elevator finally did open, but, now that I was sure that the heavy feeling of Voytana's power really was here and that she did sense me, I couldn't exactly turn back and run away.

I entered the throne room and instantly knew that Voytana was here, however, I didn't see her in the grand throne I was expecting her. Instead, I looked over to the far wall and saw the Grand Duchess standing there, facing out of the window. looking down at the capital city. I very much doubted that she could pick out any detail at this distance past the clouds, but I could understand why she was doing this. This whole city, this whole world really, is the product of three thousand years of work by Voytana and her predecessors, now all of that was going to get ripped away from her, and there was nothing that she could do to stop it. She could fight the Empire all she wants and we can do as much damage as possible, but we are going to lose this planet sooner rather than later. Voytana knew that, and she knew that any attempt to try and retake this planet would fail. Even if it didn't, even in the unlikely event that we somehow managed to repel the Empire and retake Taaszon, Palpatine would just send another invasion force and finish the job. Voytana knew that, and she wanted to enjoy her world for as long as possible.

"You came, good." she suddenly spoke, not even having turned around, merely aware of the fact that I was here. I was about to ask why she wanted to see me when Voytana continued, the Grand Duchess having anticipated my question "I called you here, child, because there are two important things that we need to discuss. The first is the matter of our species and what that means. The second is this new arrangement you have formed with Lady Attam."

"What about my species?" I asked, trying to avoid acknowledging the fact that she said we were both the same species. I knew that Voytana was referring to the fact that we were both Sith, but I still didn't like thinking of myself that way. Quite frankly, I didn't feel very much like a Sith, that wasn't who I am, that wasn't what I had always known myself as. I've always thought of myself as a Zeltron, that's what the Jedi told me, and that's what I believed for the longest time. I've found out that I'm half Sith, half human from Voytana, but that didn't make me feel Sith. I didn't like finding out that the Jedi, including Ullara, had been lying to me for that long, but I don't exactly think I can blame them. How do you tell a Jedi child that she was born a Sith and thus was predisposed towards the Dark Side? How do you put that kind of pressure on a young Padawan, especially during a war that already pushes the Jedi towards darkness?

"You're an intelligent woman Zaliza, you know what's about to happen, and you know that many of us are going to die in the process. Possessing mastery of the Force, we are less likely to fall than our ordinary soldiers, but death is no less possible. You and I are the last vestiges of Sith blood in the galaxy, and there is a chance that one of us, if not both, are going to die in the coming battle." Voytana replied, still not facing me, but I could imagine her expression was rather bleak, so openly and candidly being confronted with the destruction, the extinction of her own species. I can't imagine how that feels...though I suppose I should know that feeling, considering I am a Sith..but it's still not how I feel. I don't feel like I just heard that my species is going extinct, I feel like I am hearing about someone else's crisis, and this isn't being the bonding moment I think Voytana intends to be.

"You don't expect me to...carry on the species, do you?" I asked, hoping that this conversation wasn't building towards that. I was in an awkward position, I knew that Voytana's power was on our side, but it still made me feel uncomfortable, I didn't know how to interact with her, and I wasn't sure if I could even tell her that I wasn't invested in the topic of the Sith species the way that she is. I know that this is important to her, I know that it's important to Phanza, and I understand that it holds significance to the people of Taaszon, but none of that makes me accept this revelation I only had a few months ago. It also didn't help that I still found the Sith to be a bit taboo...I can accept Phanza and the Grand Duchy, but I can't quite make the leap to be a Sith myself. That applies to both the species and the ideology.

"No, no, of course not. Not only would I not ask you to do something I won't do myself, but what's the point anyway? You're already a hybrid, there are no Sith males to mate him, any attempt to 'carry on' the species, as you worded it, would only dilute our bloodline. The Pureblooded Sith are already dead, there is no saving us, trying to would only be a hollow embarrassment to what our species once was." Voytana replied, revealing that not only she was not continuing on the Sith and Ducal bloodline herself, but that wasn't the point of the conversation. Feeling somewhat impatient, I wanted to ask what was the point of this conversation but, again, she anticipated me "The point is, we are the ends of an ancient lineage, the last of a great people, and we are going to have to face a deadly obstacle, one that can very well kill us both. I want to at least address that."

"Yes..." I trailed off, not really sure what to say. I knew that this was an important thing for the Dark Lord of the Sith, but I just didn't feel the same way. That being said, I could understand the urge to say things that need to be said before facing very possible death, and I already did something similar by becoming Phanza's apprentice. I could also face Schweva again and try to apologize for our last conversation, I was overly harsh and personal, my questioning wasn't even really equivalent to the admittedly valid but difficult questions she was asking me...but that's a matter for another day. I instead decided to ask about the other subject that the Grand Duchess had in mind "What about the apprenticeship question?"

"No, I don't have a question. Rather, I have a confession. I'm sure you are well aware of the Force Bond you share with Lady Attam. I was fascinated when she reported that she had seen a Sith-blooded Jedi on Coruscant, someone that we can turn over to our case, bring into the Grand Duchy. Phanza, however, can be rather meticulous when she wants to be, preferring to have you come to her, willingly becoming her apprentice rather than corrupting you. Now that this has happened, in a way anyway, I can reveal that I had my doubts about this. I wasn't sure that even Phanza's logic, morality, and standards could break through a decade and a half of Jedi conditioning against the Sith, against the Dark Side, and against an open use of the Force. I still wanted you to join our cause though, both because you have Sith blood, and because I do feel you can be a powerful and resourceful Force user, with the right training. So, to make sure that this happened, I influenced the situation. I created a Force bond between you and Lady Attam, drawing you two together and setting in motion the events that led to you finally becoming her apprentice." Voytana revealed, finally answering just where this Force bond came from, and revealing that it's an answer I never wanted to hear.

"Did Phanza know?" I asked calmly, needing an answer to this before I could properly process just what this means. This was already bad, this means that it wasn't entirely my choice to become Phanza's apprentice, this means that my actions, which I believed were my own, which were influenced by nothing else besides perhaps the will of the Force, were really the result of the machinations of a Sith Lord. What I wanted to know, however, was how bad the situation was. Was Phanza being genuine when she allowed me to choose my own path, or was that simply her knowing I would come around sooner rather than later, waiting for her master's scheme to pay off? I was hoping for the former, but I was dreading the possibility of the latter.

"No, I am going to tell her tonight when I meet with her. Phanza wanted to do this all by herself. My involvement was strictly my own, a precaution to make sure a potential asset fell into our hands." Voytana replied, now facing me, looking me in the eye. I suppose that there was no reason to believe her, however, when I looked into her eyes, despite being the eyes of a Sith Lord, I found it genuine. That was a relief because, if nothing else, that meant that Phanza was not intentionally manipulating me, that meant that she didn't betray me...but her master did. My master's master created a Force bond to turn me into an asset of their Sith state, and I've been going on missions for them, killing clones for them, and fighting my best friend for them. Everything I've done for Taaszon now was tainted, everything was sullied by what Voytana just admitted to me.

"I...I would like to leave now." I replied, making a rather abrupt departure, but I couldn't exactly think of anything else to do. I scurried out of the throne room and back into the elevator, squeezing myself as far against the rear wall as possible, I couldn't wait for the elevator door to shut. After what felt like an eternity, the elevator doors finally closed and it slid down the Citadel, at the same time, I slid down the elevator. I fell to the floor and pulled my knees to my chest, needing to rethink every decision I've made since this Force bond was formed...when exactly was it formed anyway? Voytana said after Phanza reported it to her, so that means my defense of Taaszon to the Jedi Council was legitimate, but then, on the way to Taaszon, Phanza first contacted me. It seemed like a dream at first, then she started contacting me when I was conscious, and even could see more of my surroundings...this was Phanza exploring the bond more as she learned more about it. That was another sign that she didn't understand it fully when it was formed, but...it still hurt. Was my willingness to see Phanza as more than a Dark Side figure an obfuscation as well? I don't think so, considering Phanza herself seemed to be aware of it, but that's just it...I can't trust my own perception of events anymore. I don't know what else Voytana could have done to influence my path to becoming Phanza's apprentice.

I cried into my robes on the elevator ride, now almost welcoming how long it was, enjoying the fact that I could be completely alone for a time. The weight of Voytana's power slowly went away as I got further away, but I didn't exactly find any solace in that, because it was replaced with the heavy knowledge of what Voytana said..the implications just got worse and worse the more I thought of it. Was the contact with Ullara real? I mean, yes, a cave full of Jedi lightsaber crystals was a place strong in the Force, the kind of place where a deceased Jedi could be closest to the mortal plane, but it's also on Taaszon. It's awfully convenient that Ullara's spirit was able to make contact with me on a Sith world she's never been to. Then, around that same time, my increasing hopelessness over rebuilding the Jedi, was that real? On one hand, the Jedi were destroyed and I was only a Padawan at the time, on the other, knowing that Voytana was already using her power to align me with Lady Attam, I had to question that. I had to question everything that resulted in me becoming Phanza's apprentice.

* * *

I took the speeder back to Castle Attam soon after, wanting to just go back to my room and sulk. I would be entirely alone, even R9-W3 was sent ahead to the Silent Fleet along with most of my clothes and possessions, and that suited my just fine. Just when I was finally settling back into life after the Jedi, just as soon as I found some closure with Ullara and a purpose as Phanza's apprentice, Voytana came along and revealed that it was all built on lies. I loved Phanza as an individual, she's fair, she cares about me, and, even if I don't agree with all of it, I know that she has a reason for believing in everything she believes in, but I can't love the fact that she is a Sith, not now. Voytana, with her Force bond and her manipulations, has proven that, deep down, the Taaszon Sith are no different than any other Sith. All they care about is there own power and advancements, and I'm just the latest addition to Voytana's powerbase. A small, vindictive part of me almost wanted to see Voytana's whole powerbase destroyed in front of her eyes, but I couldn't do that.

Lady Attam, Ruumshi, Avoine, Ceyla, Yevenna, Schweva, the common people of Taaszon...that was worth fighting for. I was going to fight for them, not for Voytana, not for the Grand Duchy of Taaszon, but for my friends and allies who happen to serve Taaszon, and for the common innocent people who, just like everyone else in the galaxy, don't want to become pawns of Palpatine. Satisfied with my cause for remaining in the struggle, I was determined to go to my room and rest, planning on talking to Phanza and Schweva later on. I wanted to clear the air with Lady Attam and, ideally, talk to her before Voytana did. I wanted to be the one who broke the news to my master, I didn't want her to have to find out the same way that I did. That was a matter for later though, for now I just wanted to - suddenly, a klaxon broke out in the hangar, bathing it in red light and filling my ears with the blaring sirens. I looked around, seeing the hangar staff leaping into action, turning the speeder around and prepping the _Ultimate_ and the _Chancellery_ for takeoff - they would board the Silent Fleet's hangar.

I rushed off to find Phanza, figuring that the Sith Lord would know what's going on and give us orders according. I headed through the halls of the palace and found my way to the war room, following the alarms there. The doors opened in front of me to reveal quite the commotion as Ruumshi, Avoine, Lady Attam, and HK-107 were already here, staring at various screens. I looked over at them to see an Imperial fleet emerging from hyperspace just short of Taaszon's rings, caught in the trap laid out for them. the Venator-class star destroyers were caught with the rock rings in front of them and our Margraviate-class Super Dreadnoughts behind them and above - so as to not allow our ships to be rammed by Venators coming out of hyperspace - and our ships began inflicting massive damage. I had to admit, this was a good way to use our limited numbers and the the environment against them. The Imperials may have had a wayfinder with them, but they didn't have experience using it, and that meant they would have a very difficult time trying to get capital ships through the rings, particularly the storms. I watched the gray central hangar panels rupture on a Venator as Schweva entered the room from the opposite side, having rushed here from wherever she had been.

"Everyone's here, good. The evac shuttles are accepting the last loads of cargo now, when they return to the city, they'll only be taking people. We'll keep the Empire preoccupied in orbit for as long as possible, but I am fully expecting a ground battle to start soon." Phanza replied, giving a report of the situation above us. Another wave of Imperial ships arrived out of hyperspace, but Taaszon deployed a reserve force from behind Exavellos, the Margraviate ships firing their purple lasers and inflicting massive casualties upon the Imperial fleet, which would have been a great thing, had the Empire not kept coming. We deployed fights and bombers of everything kind - Bisectors, Devastators, and Terminators - but more and more Imperial star destroyers would jump out of hyperspace, revealing the true amount of force Palpatine was willing to commit to this purge.

Confronted with so many targets, our Super Dreadnoughts weren't able to contain anything, and, soon enough, Venators were beginning to push through the rings on their way to the planet. Experienced or not, the lead Venator forced its way through, letting the orbiting debris of rocks and ice crash against the shield as it followed the general path laid out by the wayfinder - was it onboard the lead ship or was there a control ship coordinating their movements? That could explain the somewhat delayed and generalized actions, the crew of the lead ship may not have the actual navigational data in front of them - pushing through even as more rocks and more ice crashed against the weakening shields. Eventually, the shields failed and the Venator was shredded by the movement of the rings, but, as the second ship took its place, I realized that the Empire didn't care. They would keep throwing their ships at this problem until one of them got through, and there was nothing we could do about it. Not even the electrical storms could stop the Empire because, while they took down a number of star destroyers, more were getting through, and they were starting to get to the endpoint of the rings.

"Observation: the Empire is about to break through the rings. Tactical Assessment: we should deploy in the capital city, the evacuating meatbags will need our assistance. Query: may I please start killing clones, Master?" HK-107 provided an assessment of the situation, which, despite his rather...unique way of addressing sentient beings and his bloodlust, seemed mostly accurate.

"Yes, yes. We need to get to the hangars. Voytana plans to deal with the first few star destroyers personally, and we have air defenses in place, but they're going to get on the ground soon enough." Phanza answered, already heading out to the hangar. All of us followed, soon separating into two groups. Phanza, Ruumshi, and Avoine were going to head to the far side of the city, trying to hold the line there, while Schweva, HK, and I were going to be deployed closer to the evacuation site, establishing our main line of defense, the one that we absolutely could not sacrifice, hence the bloodthirsty hunter-killer droid was being deployed alongside two Force users. Voytana planned on dealing with the star destroyers somehow, but I had no idea what she intended to do...she can't have a terrible revelation in hand about all of them, especially with them being brainwashed clones.

Shaking off the petty insults, for now anyway, I focused on the situation in front of us as I climbed into the speeder. I was mad at Voytana and I had a lot to think about and a lot to talk about, but, for now, I had to focus on the real situation in front of us, saving lives and allowing the innocent civilians of the Grand Duchy to evacuate to the Silent Fleet. There would be times to address my personal issues later, for now, I strapped myself in as Schweva did the same in the seat next to mine - her demeanor was still cool around me, but she was, wisely, putting that aside so that we could work together - finally, HK-107 took the pilot's seat and flew the speeder out of the hangar, Phanza and her bodyguards in the other, taking off for another part of the city.

* * *

As our two speeders headed down to the capital from Castle Attam, I could see the little figure of Grand Duchess Voytana stepping out onto the Citadel's landing pad, a lone presence standing out high above the clouds. I watched as she was confronted with a star destroyer, the lead ship having broken into Taaszon's atmosphere already, and I wondered what was going to happen next. The Sith Lord was facing down an entire starship alone, what could she possibly do? How could she possibly survive? Well, my question was answered when the Sith Pureblood raised a hand and purple lightning flew free, hitting the star destroyer like an EMP. I looked on from the canopy of the speeder in disbelief as a star destroyer was knocked out of commission by the actions of a lone individual, Voytana's lightning instantly rendering it inoperable. Voytana may have created this Force bond without my knowledge or consent, but even I had to be awed by her power as a Venator-class star cruiser fell out of the sky and crashed into the mountains on the other side of the city.

I almost got hopeful for a second, thinking that between the ambush in space and Voytana's awesome power, we would actually have a chance, but then reality hit and I was reminded just how hopeless this situation was. The sun was blacked out as another star destroyer entered the atmosphere, then another, and two more, until finally the Imperial armada was filling the skies. I saw Voytana summoning her power, lightning building up at her fingertips, but then, the star destroyers opened fire. Voytana didn't stand a chance as Imperial lasers destroyed the landing pad, the throne room, and, finally, even the base of the the tower, sending the entire Citadel falling. I watched in absolute horror as the monolith fell against a mountain before being split in half, the upper half laying against the opposite side, out of sight. Just like that, our greatest weapon was anti-climatically taken out of the equation and the whole landscape of Taaszon was changed forever. The greatest symbol of Sith authority, the Citadel which you could see from anywhere on Taaszon, was now just a pile of wreckage across the mountains. The only thing filling the skies now was the Imperial fleet and the ships they were deploying - ARC fighters, LAAT gunships, and every other type of craft imaginable.

"What...what just happened?" Schweva asked, her voice scared and shocked, the Chiss woman sitting there petrified as she just saw her Grand Duchess vaporized while she sat helplessly in a speeder, unable to do anything to stop it. I hadn't exactly been on good terms with Voytana at the end there, but I could hardly believe it either...someone who I found so incredibly powerful every time I saw her was murdered before the fight even really began - our greatest asset was gone, just like that, and the impossibly overwhelming Imperial force seemed even more unbeatable now. We just saw Voytana eliminated in the blink of an eye and now we had to land and step into that very battle...star destroyers and buildings are falling in just the first phase of the fight, what chance do we have?

"Explanation: under heavy turbolaser fire, the Citadel collapsed, leaving the royal meatbag dead. Tactical Assessment: This has significantly lowered our ability to fight the Imperial invaders. Conclusion: we need to establish the defensive perimeter immediately. Reasoning: The meatbags were are charged with defending are in grave danger without us." HK-107 explained, somehow raising a valid point. Yes Voytana is dead and yes that hurts our ability to fight, but there are still people evacuating down there and we still need to hold the line for as long as possible.

"May the Force be with us." I whispered as we came in for a landing, knowing that we'll need whatever luck we can get. The shuttle touched down and we immediately leapt into action, disembarking and preparing to hold the line here. I grabbed my purple and black lightsaber, grabbing the disguised hilt and igniting it for the first time, heading off to the right side of our defensive line, the shuttles behind us. HK-107 ran off the center, his metal feet clanking against the ground as he ran up there with a great and varied arsenal of an assault cannon, a blaster rifle, several automatic blaster pistols, explosives, and a vibroblade. Schweva took the left, the Chiss armed with her lightwhip and lightsaber, dual weapons with which she can hold the line. The autocannons and railguns we set up earlier were doing their best to shoot down Imperial vessels, and for now, we were dealing with only the evacuees - who passed us to get to the actual evacuation staff, where they were divided up and put onto the shuttles - but the Empire was getting closer and closer to the surface, and I knew we would be fighting them sooner rather than later.

I tried to process for a moment, the people pushing past me on either side, a loan parting in the ground, a single little girl standing here in a desperate attempt to hold off the mighty Empire. I thought of Voytana and the Citadel, the two greatest symbols of Sith authority and history on Taaszon wiped out in mere moments of the invasion, spelling out just how truly doomed we all were. Then I thought about the fact that every other Jedi was dead, killed by the same clones who I would be fighting in mere moments. These clones, once brave allies, once men who I trusted my life with - I mean, right before Order 66, Commander Warlock had saved my life, the abrupt change was a complete transformation, turning Warlock from a man who saved my life to a relentless enemy murderer - were going to be gunning to kill me, and that meant that I was going to have to kill them. This wasn't the first time I've killed clones but, somehow, that didn't make it any easier. I didn't like taking another sentient's life, I didn't like seeing the face of my former troops be the face of my enemy, and I didn't like the fact that I was now fighting for the Sith, but this is what I had to do now. I needed to stand my ground because of all these people around me, these people boarding the shuttles. This wasn't about me or Voytana or killing clones, this is about helping the defenseless, and I could believe in that.

I raised my head and snapped into action, having come to terms with what's about to happen. I aimed my right hand at a low-flying LAAT gunship and fired my purple Force Lightning at it - not nearly as impressive as what Voytana would accomplish, but I still knew where the engine was and managed to knock one of the engines out - watching the gunship lose control and go crashing off into the distance, exploding on impact. Seeing us in action, the civilians were now giving us a wider berth, and HK-107 took advantage of that to begin firing off his assault cannon, shooting down gunship and starfighters even as they went on bombing and strafing runs across the city. Purple and black armored Taaszon troopers, and blue-skinned Chiss soldiers alike were fighting all over the city, keeping the Empire landing from now, but it was quickly becoming evident that it was going to be a losing battle. The autocannons and railguns were doing their best but, there was only so much they could do and, little by little, the Empire was destroying the guns one by one. Various Sith were using their powers against the gunships, but none of them - not even Phanza - were as powerful as Voytana, not even they could hold the line forever. The Empire would make it to the surface any moment now and we would be up against their clone troopers.

"Zaliza! Watch out!" Schweva called out and I turned to see an ARC fighter barreling towards me, electrocuted with a lightwhip scorch mark along the stubby, incomplete end of the wing. I Force pushed some of the people rushing towards the shuttles down and then ran off, trying to get everyone away from the crash zone. I ran towards the shuttle platform and, finally, I jumped at the last moment, just barely getting past the starfighter as it hit the ground and skid past where I had just been, continuing off until it was finally stopped when it crashed into a nearby building. I was fearing a fire or an explosion, but the snow fell off of the roof of the house and extinguished the flames, preventing that. One crisis averted, I turned back to the sky, seeing the swarm of Imperial vessels now uncomfortably close to the surface. Our ships were now deployed in the sky over the capital as well, but, in their limited numbers, our forces in the air were having little effect. At this point, it was getting to the point where taking down the ships were arguably as damaging as letting them land, because, as Schweva just inadvertently demonstrated, the ships are so low they're crashing right here, right onto our forces and fleeing civilians. There's really no winning here.

HK momentarily put his assault cannon on his back and switched to his blaster rifle, the droid aiming straight at a gunship on a strafing run directly ahead of him. I watched as the marksman droid took two shots, taking down the pilot and the co-pilot in one shot each, showing that, for better or worse, he really did deserve the designation of hunter-killer. Unfortunately, the droid was again confronted with the fact that the gunship was now on course to crashing right into him. Fortunately, I was watching the situation, so I was able to grab the gunship with the Force, trying to slow it down. Fast and uncontrolled, the gunship was difficult to slow down, even with my power in the Force, but, luckily for me, Schweva took notice as well, helping me take control of the gunship and bring it down sideways, safely landing just short of any civilians. HK-107, meanwhile, switched back to his assault cannon and rushed over to the crash site, prying open the doors and gunning down any survivors. I cringed slightly at the brutal execution before turning back to the sky, Schweva did as well, while HK used the crashed gunship as cover.

Whether it was a result of Schweva and I being distracted with bringing down the gunship, or simply an inevitability of the Imperial advance, but, as Schweva and I returned to our perspective defensive positions, clones were already on the ground. The harsh winter sun reflected off of the white armor of the clone troopers as they advanced, firing their guns as they ran. I moved my lightsaber quickly to block, struggling to adapt to now using a single-bladed weapon. My new lightsaber was more subtle and concealable, but it provided less blade, less area with which to block blaster bolts, and I was growing concerned in my ability to hold off this onslaught from the advancing clones. Knowing I needed to reduce their numbers, I raised my hand again, unleashing a burst of Force Lightning and electrocuting them in their armor. I tried to tune out their death screams while blocking the blaster bolts from the other Imperials, telling myself that this was the product of necessity. I caught one bolt just the right way and bounced it back at the clone, taking him down with a single blow to the chest. It belt almost like the Clone Wars again, being in a real war zone, doing such impressive things, and desperately trying to ignore the gnawing realization of how many people I've killed already.

In the center, HK-107 had no such reservations, gunning down clones with glee, spraying his assault cannon in a wide arc, killing clones that were even in the zones Schweva and I were supposed to defend, no doubt with murderous glee. These clones were once part of the Grand Army of the Republic though, they knew how to fight a murderous droid, so, when I saw a group of Imperial commandos sneaking up on the other side of the gunship, about to ambush HK, I wanted to warn him. I appeared to be too late though, because, as I was distracted with Force-pushing down on a group of clones that got a bit too close, the ambushing group climbed on top of the gunship and tried to gun down HK from above. The assassin droid was, fortunately, more capable than the standard separatist clankers, and he soon switched to his vibroblade and one of the blaster pistols, quickly cutting down or simply shooting the commandos, showing that he was not going to be ambushed. To emphasize this point, grabbing his assault cannon again, HK climbed on top of the gunship and started unloading on the advancing clones, making himself the biggest and most obvious target on the battlefield, and relishing it.

Glancing far to the left, I saw a blue and black whip fly through a group of clone troopers, sending their corpses flying off to the right as Schweva held the line, deflecting blaster bolts with her traditional lightning and attacking with a mixture of the Force and her lightwhip. It was certainly an odd and diverse arsenal, but it seemed to work for the Chiss woman and, well, considering that we're fighting to hold the line against the Empire, that's about all we can hope for. I saw some of the last few shuttles get loaded up and leave, right as Schweva used the Force to pull a passing AT-TE off a gunship, bring the walker down on the advancing clones and disabling it at the same time, taking down multiple targets at once. The carrier gunship, disturbed by losing the walker it was carrying, then struggled to recover, allowing for one of our autocannons to get a lock and bring it down before it could maneuver away.

Bringing the focus of the fight back to me, I seized some of the falling debris with the Force, then throwing it at the clones in front of me, eliminating them with pieces of their own ships. Between my Force attacks and HK's earlier sweep, I now have some clear distance in front of me, and the fleeing civilians took advantage of that to quickly board the remaining shuttles. One took off, then the next, and the next, one after that, and finally we were making progress. We were finally getting civilians out of here when, suddenly, perhaps intentionally, or perhaps simply in a tragic accident, a rogue laser bolt hit an evacuating shuttle, blowing it up. Not only did it kill the civilians onboard, but it also eliminated that vessel from future evacuation runs. Thankfully, but now we seem to have gotten most people out, but still, the loss of a shuttle, particularly a packed one, is terrible, especially at a time like this.

Perhaps enraged because the Empire just killed civilians, or simply thanks to me remembering something which Phanza had done during the Battle of Imperius Prime, I channeled lightning again. This time, rather than unleashing it as one blast of lightning, I directed it at one clone, then the next, and another, and again, until I had eleven clones chained together and being electrocuted, all victims of my chain lightning. I cut the lightning off and they dropped, deceased, but I fell over too. Arms weak and panting from exhaustion, I realized I did too much, I over exerted myself, and now here I was, laying dumbly on the ground in the middle of a battlefield. I was going to die like this, wasn't I?

I looked over at HK-107, but I saw him preoccupied, blasting at clones advancing over the gunship while dealing with another holding onto his back, trying to pull the droid down. HK was able to flip the clone on his back over and onto the ground, slamming his throat with a metal arm, but then he turned his attention back to the clones coming over the gunship...how had they recovered so quickly? It seemed like we had built up some distance, but now the clone troopers were on top of us again, pinning us down and getting closer and closer to striking a fatal blow. I locked over at Schweva, hoping that the Chiss apprentice was in better shape than HK or I, but she was busy angling her whip around a ground of clones advancing with riot shields, shields which allowed them to get within the range of her whip. Schweva did manage to curve it around them and hit them from behind, but now she had to deal with the regular clones that advanced behind the shielded group, meaning that she too was preoccupied. I tried to crawl forward and pull myself up, but all I saw was my shaking, exhausted arm failing to pull my drained body forward as the white armored clone troopers got closer and closer.

I closed my eyes, not wanting to see what happened next. I waited to hear a blaster bolt ring out, I waited to feel it hit me, but...it never came. Instead, I heard the sound of a jetpack shooting into the sky, and then another, followed by the sound of the Imperial clones firing into the sky while airborne blaster pistols fired back at them, raining down death from above. I opened my eyes and looked up to see Yevenna's red armor and Ceyla's silver armor flying above us, the two Mandalorians joining our defensive line. Looking further around, I saw Mandalorians of all shapes and sizes, from alien bruisers to lithe operatives to even a couple of children in training, some in armor, some not, but all of them were boarding the shuttles which just returned from the Silent Fleet. One of the Mandalorians came over and helped me to my feet before she ran off to the shuttle, joining the rest of her clan. I realized this was the rest of the Mandalorian enclave evacuating. The airborne onslaught from the Ordo sisters gave us some breathing space. We were about to reposition and prepare for the next wave of Imperials when, suddenly, the clones in the distance leaned into their comlinks before turning around and rushing to a different direction.

"Wait...are they retreating? They can't be retreating, that doesn't make sense, they have the numbers and we've been struggling to - " Yevenna started before Ceyla interrupted her, the elder Mandalorian noticing that the clones, along with the Imperial fighters in the sky, were turning their attention to the far side of the city. It didn't even take me a moment to realize that was exactly the part of the city where Phanza, Ruumshi, and Avoine were, and I knew that, without a doubt, Phanza was the cause of this Imperial redeployment. Redeployment, that is what this was, not a retreat.

"No, Yevenna, they've found a bigger target than the shuttles." Ceyla concurred, also referring to Phanza, Phanza who, now that Voytana was dead, was now the highest ranking and most powerful Sith on Taaszon. Therefore, she was now the Empire's main target. We all gathered around in a circle, Phanza was important to every single once of us: Schweva and I were her apprentices, HK-107 was her personal assassin droid, Ceyla was her Mandalorian contact and frequent traveling companion, and Yevenna was not only Ceyla's protege, but accompanied Phanza on the Loukhamii mission. We all valued and looked up to Phanza, so we all listened to what Ceyla said next "I'm going to try and contact her."

I watched as Ceyla pulled out her holocommunicator and tried to contact Phanza, only to find out that the Empire was jamming all of our communications. That didn't help with our worrying, but, fortunately, we had another solution. The Force bond, the thing which Voytana created, the thing which is now perverted and tainted thanks to her machinations, but also the thing which has linked Phanza and I ever since we first saw each other on Coruscant. I reached out through our bond and I felt Phanza, still there, still intact, but busy, locked into a battle with dozens of clones and...and Vader. Vader himself was here and he found Phanza, the two were locked in combat and Phanza was heavily outnumbered. Even if Ruumshi and Avoine were still in the fight, which I couldn't see enough of the situation to confirm or not, she was heavily outnumbered. Phanza was too busy with Vader to reply to me, but she kept the link open, meaning that I could feel exactly where she was, and I knew where we had to go. I turned back to the group to report what I knew.

"I know where Phanza is, I have to get to her."

"Observation: you are tired and ineffective, meatbag, you won't do her any good." HK-107 replied, instantly taking note of my physical exhaustion and the fact that I probably wouldn't do any good in a fight at this stage. I hated the fact that he said that, and I hated even more than he probably had a point. I was tired, I was carrying a lot of emotional baggage right now, and the Empire was being relentless so far, we couldn't afford to be anything less than one-hundred percent effective against them and I simply wasn't capable of that right now. Not that any of that was going to stop me from trying my damnedest to get to Phanza.

"I'll go with her. Phanza is our mistress and we need to help her in any way we can. The Empire seems to be focusing their forces towards her but, HK, Ceyla, Yevenna, you should still stay here and guard the shuttles, just in case. Make sure you keep the last shuttle waiting until we either come back or tell you otherwise." Schweva replied, instantly volunteering to help me. I couldn't help but smile at that, that, despite everything, Schweva was going to help me get to Phanza. I knew that it was probably more about Lady Attam than about getting me there, but still, I was glad that the Chiss wasn't being resentful towards me. I knew grilling her was wrong and that I was being childish, I also knew that she deserved an apology once all of this was over.

* * *

The Chiss and I snuck through the city or, rather, the rubble of it. Bombing runs, Imperial landings, crossfire, and, especially the collapse of the monolith all left a mark on the city. Once the beautiful and diverse capital of a proud civilization, Taaszon was now a war zone, and it wore all the scars of war imaginable. Schweva and I had decided on stealth because it gave me a chance to recover from my earlier exertion, and also because we decided that less time would be lost sneaking past the Imperials than getting bogged down in a fight with the clone troopers. Especially not when I was still not quite in a condition to fight. How I was going to help Phanza face Vader like this was a matter for another time, for now, I just needed to get to her, needed to do something to make sure that she survives this fight with Vader. I just needed to do something, even if I don't know what that is right now.

Schweva was a helpful presence though. We had been rivals at one point, somewhat hostile to each other, and perhaps we'll be rivals again in the future but, right now, I was grateful to her. I followed her as we scaled a knocked over communications tower - perhaps part of the reason why we're not able to contact Phanza, but I think that's mainly down in jammers on the star destroyers - and we passed through the streets of Taaszon. It was eerie, the streets not only deserted of people, but the Empire uncharacteristically quiet as well. The fighting in the sky had died down to a few dog fights, the clones on the ground weren't actively attacking the shuttles right now, and even the sound of blaster fire seemed faint at best. To some, this would seem like the battle was coming to an end, like the Empire had already won, but I knew that wasn't the case. The clones were all heading for Phanza and Vader, and we were following them.

"We're close." I whispered to Schweva as I pointed towards a staircase. _We're on our way Phanza, stay strong._ I added in my head. We needed to head up to the elevated walkway on this side of the city and then cut through the Northern Station, where perimeter trains, local speeders, and even certain traffic coming from off-world converged. The Northern Station was the main hub of this side of the city, and, through it, we could get to where Phanza was. Perhaps because we were closer now, or maybe Phanza was using the Force to show me more, but I could see her holding off a red lightsaber while pushed against the railing of one of these elevated walkways and, while I couldn't see Vader through the cloudy image, I could hear his distinctive, mechanical breathing. I saw Phanza leap over him so she wasn't on the edge anymore, but something about that move seemed to set Vader off, as he caught her blade twice mid air and then deliberately unbalanced her when she landed. Vader was not going to let anyone attack him from behind.

"Though here?" Schweva asked and I nodded as we entered the station. I was, however, instantly stopped in my tracks. I felt her before I saw her, that familiar presence, that friend who was forced to become my enemy. Standing there, in the middle of the station, clearly as shocked to see me as I was to see her, stood Thonna Ai'Sunn - the Third Sister - flanked by four clone troopers, two on each side. The Twi'lek and I simply looked at each other for a moment, neither of us fighting, but neither of us having a choice. She needed to obey the Empire and I needed to get to Phanza.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was a big one.


	24. Fate of The Jedi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the penultimate chapter of act two. It's going to be an eventful one, so...strap yourselves in.

Act II.

The Heart of Darkness.

Chapter XXIV.

Fate of The Jedi.

* * *

The clones were the first to react, raising their blasters at Schweva and I. The Chiss reacted next, reaching for her weapons, ready to activate them at a moment's notice, but, as for Thonna and I, we simply stared at each other. My purple eyes appearing within the shadow of my hood, and Thonna looking through the opaque, black visor of the Third Sister. Of course Palpatine dispatched Inquisitors here, he knew that Taaszon had Force users in abundance, he knew because Ullara and I provided a meticulous report to the Jedi Council and to the Chancellor, and of course Thonna had to be the Inquisitor I encountered. The Third Sister, the woman who I had just barely stopped a fight with on Loukhamii, sacrificing my lightsaber and my Padawan braid in the process, was standing here right in front of me. Neither of us wanted to fight, but both of us knew that we had to fight. We had no other choice. Thonna was reduced to a pawn of the Empire, forced to do their bidding by fear and by torture, and that meant she was going to try and kill me, and that meant that I had to defend myself.

"What are your orders, commander?" the familiar voice of a clone trooper finally rang out, asking the Third Sister for their orders. I watched as the Twi'lek, dressed head to toe in black armor, finally snapped out of it. I knew that this was going to happen, and that it was naive to hope that this would go any other way, but it still hurt to feel that sinking realization in my stomach that I was going to have to fight my best friend. I watched as she grabbed her double-bladed ring lightsaber off her hip and I reciprocated, pulling my new lightsaber into my hand with the Force, trying to ignore how drained and exhausted I felt. I probably should have noticed the concerned glance Schweva threw my way, but I was entirely focused on Thonna Ai'sunn and the fact that I was going to need to battle the Inquisitor yet again. Our third encounter since Order 66, and our second battle.

"Take care of the blue-skinned one. The red-skinned one is mine." the Third Sister ordered. I noticed the fact that, even now, Thonna protected my identify, feigning ignorance. That was a small consolation, the fact that she was still trying to protect me from the wrath of the Empire, but lacking the will, the determination, to do anything but fight me. Thonna didn't want to see me die, I don't even think she wanted to see me get hurt, but she didn't see any other option, and she thought that the best thing she could do is making sure that she hurts me, not anyone else. I wasn't sure how much that logic really worked, but I also haven't been through what Thonna has been through, I haven't seen what the Empire did to her, and I haven't been in an environment where everyone around me wanted to kill me at the slightest provocation, the slightest disobedience, or especially the slightest hint of disloyalty.

I've been in battlefields, yes, but that's different. Thonna is surrounded by death and walls and lies wherever she goes, whatever she's doing, and whoever she's with. She can't talk to anyone, can't trust anyone, and she definitely can't depend on anyone. The other Inquisitors wouldn't hesitate to kill her to get ahead, leaving her with two options: kill or be killed. I know that Thonna has committed atrocities for the Empire, I know that she has had to track down Jedi survivors and kill anyone who got in her way, and I fear she may have actually gotten to some of those survivors already and had to kill them. I know all of this has happened, but I also know that it's not her fault. Thonna doesn't want to die and, under the oppression of the Empire, she has no choice but to kill others so that she can survive. That's why I want to rescue her from this - I want to find a way where nobody has to die.

"No." Schweva declared. I finally turned to see the Chiss raise her hand and electrocute two of the clone troopers were her bluish Force Lightning and taking out the other pair with a few swings of her blue and black lightwhip. Clones dispatched, Schweva spoke to Thonna "You're not going to split us up, you're not going to divide and conquer. If you're going to fight us, it's going to be two on one."

"Don't do this Thonna, you're outnumbered and I don't want you to get hurt. We don't need to fight." I replied, trying to reason with her, hoping that the Twi'lek woman would see that the situation wasn't favoring her any longer. I was also grateful for Schweva, once again, because the Chiss woman was aware of my current condition and she made sure that I wasn't going to be in this alone, dispatching the clones with ease and making sure I won't have to defend myself alone in my present state. I also hoped that this would make this encounter go by more quickly because, fundamentally, Schweva and I still needed to get to Phanza. Phanza and Vader were fighting, and that was the real concern here, not Thonna, and none of these clones either. Our master was in danger and we needed to get to her, I didn't want Thonna to be an obstacle in that, and I didn't want to fight her to begin with, so I really, really hoped she would back down here. Of course, I also knew that wasn't going to happen...Inquisitors don't back down in the Empire, Palpatine doesn't give them that option. Not without severe consequences anyway.

"You know that's not true Zaliza. Palpatine is here, he's on the command ship, and he's demanding the head of every Sith on this planet. You know that I can't disobey him, not here, not now." Thonna replied, revealing just how bad the situation was. Palpatine was here in orbit, likely watching everything from the bridge of a star destroyer in orbit, watching the carnage unfold below. That was the only thing that Thonna was able to choke out in her poor emotional state - she didn't want to do this, she just felt that she had to - before disappearing into silence as she ignited her lightsaber, two red blades coming to life as she lunged at me. I was able to activate my purple and black lightsaber in time and catch her upper blade while, at the same time, Schweva swung her lightwhip and the coil of light wrapped around her lower blade, the blue and black whip halting the Third Sister's weapon.

The Third Sister pulled her lightsaber up and back - unbalancing me - before kicking me in the stomach, sending me to the ground. I watched as Thonna brought her foot down and activated her ring lightsaber, spinning it and thus freeing it from Schweva's lightwhip. The Chiss woman deactivated her weapon before the blue and black whip could go flying off chaotically. The Third Sister was a good fighter, and I'm sure that Palpatine and Vader had the Inquisitors training relentlessly to prepare for this invasion, and that was showing. Meanwhile, I was tired from holding off the clones and overusing the Force, while Schweva probably wasn't much better off, having being swinging her whip an awful lot and having used quite a bit of lightning herself. We may have outnumbered her, but neither of us were in peak shape for a fight right now, and that was compounded by the fact that I've never wanted to hurt Thonna. I didn't seem to have much of a choice as the ring ceased spinning and a red blade was aimed straight at me. I scrambled to my knees to catch her blade, locking weapons as she tried to bear down on me, while I tried to rise from the floor and throw her back, already at a disadvantage due to my position.

I looked at her faceless mask, a black plate, a long, triangular visor, and a smooth headdress that gave way to the cascading flexible armor plate which covered her Lekku, all of it illuminated by the hellish red glow of her weapon. It was a sickening view, the way her outfit made it clear that she was a Twi'lek, yet still covered every inch of her, robbing her of any humanity, any empathy, any identity beyond that of a faceless servant of the Empire. Her outfit was perhaps unique, among Inquisitors, but it still robbed her of a face, letting her be no more than a particular variation of the Inquisitor mask. The dehumanization was so extensive that Thonna wasn't even allowed to have a name in Palpatine's new order, now, she was known simply as the Third Sister. A number, just like the clones, a mere designation rather than a real personality. That was what Palpatine and Vader ultimately wanted to reduce her to, an obedient and featureless servant, useful, but always disposable - they wouldn't even have to remember her name when they brought in a new Third Sister or Third Brother to replace her - and the worst part of it all was that it was working. Thonna Ai'sunn and Zaliza Vyvan were friends in the Jedi Order, sitting together in the Jedi Temple cafeteria and even going on an extended mission together, yet, here we were, locking blades, trying to push deadly plasma into each other because Thonna's hope has been ripped away from her.

Schweva rejoined the fight, swinging her lightwhip at Thonna in an attack that would have cut straight through her back, would have if Thonna hadn't countered it with relative ease. We had been blade locked when the Third Sister suddenly disengaged, leaping backwards and giving me the chance to get to my feet, meanwhile, Thonna twisted around and repelled Schweva with another spinning motion from her lightsaber. Schweva's attack had failed, however, it had also given me an opening. Rushing towards her on tired feet, I stabbed at Thonna's side, forcing the Third Sister to take evasive action and roll out of the way. Schwevaa'aphere'enda, meanwhile, switched to her regular lightsaber, realizing that the lightwhip wasn't doing much good in this context. Thus, we were finally exploiting the advantage of our numbers, both of us trying to keep the pressure up and attack the Third Sister from both sides. Thonna was a skilled woman though, and she was able to resist with considerable fury, rapidly twisting herself around and contorting herself to block a strike from me and then one from Schweva, and so on and so forth. I could tell what she was doing, slowly but surely, she was trying to move to her left, trying to get out of our trap and having us both on one side of her, but Schweva and I weren't letting her do that, following her movements and preventing her from gaining better positioning. We would tire her out if need be, she can't last much longer than this.

Well, she may have worked in diplomacy to the Hutts, but the Padawan turned Inquisitor had become an expert fighter, so, seeing that we were following her to her left, Thonna feigned left again, watching us preemptively step to cut her off, then leaped to the right, escaping our encirclement on the other side. Perhaps knowing that the mere action would be enough to throw me off, or simply seeing something she could throw at me, I watched as Thonna grabbed a dead clone off the floor with the Force, then throwing his limp body at me. I couldn't even react to the dead weight at it hit me and knocked me over, I was too stunned by the fact that I was now laying on the ground with the dead mask of a clone right in front of me, filling my eyes with the image of my former comrades. The masks I fought with may have usually had some purple graffiti on them, some attempt at individuality, but it was still the same helmet, the one that every fresh clone wore as they joined the 1204th to fight under Master Avdune and I. Now that mask was lying on top of me dead, killed by my new ally and thrown at me by my old best friend. All the pain came rushing back, all the loss, and, combined with my present exhaustion, I lied there, petrified, while Schweva and Thonna continued their battle across the room. I was far too preoccupied with my current demons, with the knowledge of Order 66 and all the Jedi that were betrayed and killed looking me right in the eyes.

Schweva was bouncing her normal lightsaber between the Third Sister's twin blades, trying to hold back her onslaught, but there was only so much that she could do. As a Sorceress, her main weapon was the Force, and, even when amplifying her training with the Marauder discipline, she chosen to make her primary melee weapon a lightwhip, and these two facts combined to make Schweva a rather circumstantial fighter. Schweva did have a sense of practicality, having the simple, single-bladed lightsaber to fall back on, and that was all well and good, but the Inquisitors used these ring lightsabers as their weapons, almost exclusively so. Schweva was down to her tertiary weapon while Thonna is using the one that the Empire has relentlessly trained her with since Order 66. This was no longer tiring out Thonna and forcing her to give up, now Thonna was pushing Schweva back with a relentless onslaught.

There was another thing that I didn't want to admit to myself as well. Thonna knows me, we were best friends after all, so she has a reason to hold back, even in spite of her Imperial conditioning, she is still capable of showing empathy to me. Thonna, despite some of the ferocity shown while fighting me here and on Loukhamii, doesn't actually want to kill me. She doesn't have the same connection to the Chiss apprentice. I can't help but think that the Third Sister could kill Schweva if given the chance, not having a strong enough connection to her to resist the mission the Empire has given her. I need to get back involved in the fight, I need to find a way where Schweva, Thonna, and I can all walk away from this alive, and then I need to make sure Phanza survives this as well. I looked at that visor, a clean and sterile version of the clone trooper helmet, and I knew that this wasn't the same helmet I thought with, not really. The personality of the clones, the loyalty, anything that made them an individual, was wiped out with Order 66 and whatever that phrase from Palpatine did to them.

I don't know if it was brain implants, use of the Force on a massive scale, or brainwashing and conditioning on Kamino, but Palpatine had a way of taking control of these clones and changing them, changing my friends into vicious killing machines. No matter how much empathy I tried to show them, no matter how much these clones reminded me of my former allies, those clones were never coming back. The face and the armor may be the same, but what these clones are now is not the same, these are not my comrades, and I am not going to pretend they are anymore. I pushed the body of the clone off me, freeing me from the ground, and I reactivated my lightsaber, ready to return to the fight. I still didn't want to put the galaxy through a war and I doubt that all my difficulties with killing will go away this easily, if at all, but I wasn't going to let myself get petrified by this, not now, not while I'm needed.

I rejoined the fight, attacking Thonna from behind, and forcing her into an uncomfortable defense yet again, getting attacked from both sides and having to turn around before she could spot any weaknesses or openings. Schweva seemed to appreciate my return as well, because it took the pressure off of her, and allowed us to begin concentrating it at Thonna again, closing in on the Inquisitor and constricting her movements more and more. Schweva caught her double-bladed lightsaber in a blade lock, I saw an opportunity, raising my lightsaber to strike, but Thonna caught my grip with the Force, now straining herself to hold us off on two fronts. We finally forced the Third Sister into an unsustainable situation, and she knew that too. Thonna deactivated her lightsaber and dropped into a crouch, unbalancing us, then, raising the ring above her, she reactivated it and spun it in a circle, forcing Schweva and I backwards, recoiling from the deadly spinning plasma. I groaned, once again, we had her right where I wanted her, and she got out of our trap.

The Third Sister glanced back and forth at us really quickly, before ultimately deciding to attack me, seeing I was more tired, more vulnerable. I knew that I was weak, she knew that I was weak, and, honestly, Schweva wasn't doing that much better at this point...I probably should have gotten off the ground moments earlier, really I shouldn't have been on the ground to begin with. I was scared and my emotions were complex, but the same could be said about Thonna Ai'sunn, and I knew how I could get the Twi'lek to stop all of this. At least, I think I knew how to end this, I hoped that I was right, because, if I was wrong...this wasn't going to end well. I raised my lightsaber, the purple and black blade telling Thonna exactly where to swing. Positioned directly in front of me, I saw the Third Sister's red blade swing for its target, swing for me, and that is when I sprung my trap.

"No!" Thonna shouted as I deactivated my lightsaber, halting her red blade just in front of my hood. I couldn't see her face underneath the mask, but I think if I could, I would have seen the look of realization on her face. I was right, Thonna didn't want to kill me, she didn't have that in her. I know that she has killed for the Empire, but she can't, or won't, do that to me, not to the girl that was once her friend, not to the girl that is still trying to save her. Thonna may be the Third Sister now, she may be a killer, but she doesn't have the killer instinct within her. Thonna backed off, deactivating her lightsaber, slumping her shoulders in defeat as she dropped the ring. I was reminded to our last encounter, the one on Loukhamii, where I destroyed her last lightsaber, and lost my own, now, we both had perfectly good weapons, but neither of us wanted to use them. I deactivated my lightsaber as Thonna spoke again "I'm sorry...I - I just...I can't kill you. I can't...Palpatine is going to kill me for this...he's going to kill us all."

"It doesn't have to be like that though. We have an escape plan, we know of a place where Palpatine can't find us, and we can take you there too. A shuttle is right there, waiting for us to get onboard with Lady Attam so we can all board the escape ships. You could come with us." I told Thonna, hoping that now, now that she knew she was going to die if she returned to the Empire, she would finally be willing to listen, be willing to be saved. I know that we can't erase Thonna's pain and everything that Palpatine and Vader have done to her, but we can at least stop it from continuing and begin helping her work through this. Saving her from this and putting her on the road to recovery is at least a start. It's certainly better than what Thonna has at the Empire and I have to hope she'll accept now, if for no other reason that her continued fear of death. It's not the best reason, definitely not the most noble reason, but it's a beginning, and a very understandable beginning, if nothing else. Her fear of death can be used to put her into a good enough mindset to have a greater, more just motivation.

Granted, my own motivations weren't particularly grand. I wasn't a Jedi anymore, not really...or maybe I was, but I wasn't actively being a Jedi or pursuing the reconstruction of the Jedi. Whatever I currently was, I wasn't being motivated by the Jedi teachings anymore. Nor was I being motivated by Sith teachings either. I was now training under a Sith Master and living with a Sith state, possibly being half a Sith myself no less, but I am not following their ideology nor living according to it. I don't have a greater cause in my life, I don't know what I believe in beyond the survival of myself and my loved ones, and the desire to see that the galaxy was somehow freed from Palpatine's grasp. That meant that, in short, I wasn't in a much better state than Thonna was, but, at very least, I could make it so that we weren't enemies anymore, and I could ensure that, whatever we choose to become in the rest of our lives, we come to that decision together. Being Jedi in a galaxy without Jedi was a complicated existence, but Thonna and I could face those trials and tribulations together. We could help heal of trauma together, because nobody knows the pain of the Jedi more than Thonna and I do. We were there to see the flaws, we were there to see the blindness, and we were there to see the end of the Jedi, but we are still alive, and we can analyze what led to that end. That is a unique shared experience.

"You can't escape Palpatine. He...he has everything figured out. Vader and the clones are going to kill the Nautolan girl, he has all of us Inquisitors forming a perimeter so she couldn't escape if she wanted to. On top of that, he has dispatched clones to destroy the last evacuation shuttles before they leave. As soon as they win, and...and the will, Palpatine is going to be hunting for those escape craft. Whatever your plan is, it's not going to work." Thonna replied, giving her inside knowledge on just how hopeless our situation was. Phanza was not only up against Vader, but also surrounded without a way out of this Imperial trap, meanwhile, HK-107, Ceyla, and Yevenna at the evacuation site were simply being lured into a false sense of security before the next Imperial attack, and, any moment now, the Imperials would be combing the world for the Silent Fleet. All of this combined to form a rather grim picture, but there was one thing that Thonna failed to consider - the fact that she just told us this already increased our chances.

"Yevenna," I said to my open holocommunicator, managing to get a hazy and rough signal over to the Mandalorian. It was hardly perfect, and it was clear that the Imperials were still jamming our communications, but I could get something through "The Imperials are going to attack you, I repeat, the Imperials are going to attack you. Get ready and hold them off, we'll be back with Phanza as soon as we can. Wait for us."

"The Imperials are co - oh, OH, now I see them. Yeah, okay, we'll hold the line...we got this, yeah." Yevenna seemed to be confused at first, however, the warning seemed to coincide right with the beginning of the Imperial movements, and that gave her, Ceyla, and HK-107 all the confirmation they needed. It wasn't much of a warning as it turned out, but they still knew what was going on before they could be caught off guard, and that was already a big piece of help. Maybe it wasn't ideal that the rear line of defense didn't have a Force user with them anymore, but the Mandalorians were vicious fighters. I trusted their ability to hold the line.

"Okay, you got that little warning out to your friends, but what good is it going to do you? The Empire is still going to overwhelm them before you find a way to get Phanza out of Vader's perimeter." Thonna replied, the Twi'lek Inquisitor still being hopeless, still not seeing a way that we can get out of Palpatine's machinations. I couldn't help but feel bad for the girl, seeing the extent of what the Empire did to her. Any resistant bone in her body was broken again and again until nothing was left but a hollow, obedient shell of an Imperial servant. Thonna saw no way of resisting against the Empire because she had no way of resisting against them. They had full control over here and they forced her to do terrible things as the Third Sister, now, Thonna Ai'sunn didn't believe that another way was possible. Fortunately for us, the answer to Vader's perimeter was right in front of us.

"Except there's a hole in Vader's perimeter, a hole that we can slip Phanza through and escape to the shuttle." I told her. Thonna had slid her mask open by this point, revealing her violet-skinned face, and I watched as the realization finally hit her. Thonna looked around, seeing that the clones in here were dead, seeing that she was the main one holding the line here, and that, without here, this was a breach in the perimeter, a breach that we could use. Then I saw her eyes turn to the floor, where her discarded lightsaber laid harmlessly. I instinctively took a step backwards, wanting to trust Thonna, but well aware that, if she felt backed into a corner, it could trigger a fight or flight reaction with deadly consequences. I wanted Thonna to choose to help us, not to be pressured into it. It was difficult to be in the right when I was siding with Sith, even a moderate form of the Sith, so I wanted to be sure that I was at least giving Thonna a real choice in siding with us. I wanted to give her something better than what Voytana gave me.

"We...we are the break in the Empire's trap. I can get you inside." Thonna realized, her tone and the expression on her face indicating a suppressed awe, like she was finally experiencing hope again and wasn't quite sure if this was real. This was the first step of getting out of her Imperial conditioning, realizing that she could resist and it could have results. Our current situation doesn't look great, the Empire is on the verge of taking Taaszon and they've done it with incredible speed and brutality, but there are still those of us who are still alive, and we can still live to fight another way. If we play our cards right, if we work together, and if we have a little bit of luck on our side, we could get Phanza out of there, escape Vader, board the shuttle and escape with the Silent Fleet. That means all of us - Phanza, Schweva, Thonna, Ceyla, HK-107, Yevenna, and I. We could all live, but we need each other to do it.

"So, shall we?" Schweva asked, joining us. The Chiss woman had taken the context clues well and decided to let me lead the situation, seeing that I had a very real chance of turning Thonna back over to our side, and, now that it was working, Schweva was standing here, unarmed, making it clear that she wasn't a threat either. Neither of us wanted to hurt Thonna, even if Schweva didn't know the full story yet, and I could tell that was what finally, really made Thonna relax - she knew that she could trust me, now she knew that she had nothing to fear from Schweva either. She finally reached down and grabbed her lightsaber, exactly what I had feared her doing, but I didn't flinch as she came back up, knowing that she wasn't going to attack us. No, if Thonna was going to use that Inquisitor's lightsaber again, she was going to use it as a member of our side.

"We need to be quick, the Nautolan woman is tough but Vader is something else entirely. The anger, the misery, the sheer hatred he has, for himself, for us, for everything around him...I've never seen anything like it." Thonna warned us, giving just the smallest insight into what it was like to be near Vader on a daily basis. I already knew that I didn't want any part of it when I heard that mechanical breathing, that loud, unsettling his on controlled lungs, a distinctive sign that you were about to be face to face with the Empire's greatest enforcer. Thonna was exposed to that almost constantly, she could feel the Dark Side radiating off of Vader, and, evidently, she was no fan of what she saw. This wasn't the time to talk about that, this was the time to move, so, we followed Thonna up the steps to the upper level of the station, depositing us on the higher level where we could finally exit out onto where Phanza was fighting Vader. Out of the station and back into the light, I finally saw just how bad the situation was.

Vader and Phanza danced around each other, trading lightsaber blows as Phanza tried to use her speed and her fury to break through Vader's iron defense while Palpatine's new apprentice waited to tire her out, not giving the Nautolan an opening. At their feet were three dead bodies. I couldn't help but gasp when I identified the first two as Ruumshi and Avoine, Phanza's loyal bodyguards having died trying to protect her, laid down by Vader's lightsaber, by the looks of it. The third dead body belonged to a male Sith I couldn't identify, seemingly a warrior of Taaszon who tried to get involved, tried to help Phanza, and paid the price for it. The same price we may have to pay if we try to get involved. Surrounding the pair, with blasters raised, was a ring of clone troopers, a ring that would gun down Phanza in the event that she ever really got the upper hand. That wasn't even the worst part of the site. No, despite the death, despite seeing Phanza surrounded and having to fight against Vader for her life, the thing that scared me the most was the armada of gray star destroyers filling the sky. Palpatine's armada, now completely in control of the skies, a fleet of oppression blocking out the light, ready to cover Taaszon for as long as the Empire shall reign.

But they won't reign over us.

I looked over at Schweva and Thonna, reaching an understanding with the two of them, that we had to kill these clones. I was aware of the fact that Schweva, as a born and bread Sith from the Grand Duchy of Taaszon, probably had the fewest qualms about killing clones, but this was about Thonna and I, veterans of the Clone Wars, Jedi who served alongside clones, and Jedi who were now faced with clones being perverted into our enemies. The Chiss nodded first, as expected, her featureless red eyes narrowing as she silently picked her targets, just waiting for us to give her the signal. Then I turned to Thonna, seeing the Inquisitor reach from her mask, wanting to put her visor back on, but then she stopped herself. Thonna was still for a moment, but then she narrowed her eyes, turned back to me, and nodded - she wasn't going to wear her visor, she decided that she was going to reclaim her face here, this is where she was going to fight without the blank mask of the Empire - that left me, the one who was going to give the signal. A clone stood right in front of me, his blaster and attention focused on the fight in front of him, thus, he didn't even know what was coming when I grabbed him with the Force and threw him off to the right, into his friends.

The three of us sprung into action, and so did the clones, turning away from Vader and Phanza to face us. Schweva ignited her whip and brought it down on the clones, slicing clean through their armor, then electrocuting another clone on the far side. Thonna started slow, first deflecting blaster bolts with her double-bladed lightsaber, still shaky on the idea of fighting against clones but, perhaps seeing how quickly they turned their guns on her, she abandoned any fear of the Empire, her need to survive taking over from it. Now, the former Third Sister Force pushed a number of clones over the railing, leaving them to fall to their deaths to the streets below. Finally then, she finished off by sending her lightsaber into a spin and throwing it at a pair of clones in the top right corner of their formation. That left me, using my new purple and black lightsaber to finish off the clones on the ground and then slicing down and killing a final clone. Just like that, the circle of clones immediately surrounding them was gone, and Vader and Phanza had noticed. Phanza, seeing the situation change to her benefit, gave subtle, silent gestures to Schweva and I, instructing her apprentices to surround Vader and join the fight. Vader, however, had his eyes firmly set on Thonna, so much so that he even lowered his lightsaber, so immersed in the betrayal that the Lord of the Sith seemed to forget he had just been in a duel to the death against another Sith Lord.

"You turned against me!" Vader accused her, raising an arm, pointing at Thonna, as if to declare that he was going to kill her first, but he had forgotten one crucial thing during all of this. Phanza was a Sith Lord, she didn't fight fair, and she certainly wasn't going to let a distraction go to waste. I watched as Phanza raised both of her hands and unleashed red Force lightning from her fingertips, even as she held her red and black bladed curved-hilt lightsaber in her hand. Then, I watched as the the lightning struck Darth Vader himself. Then, everything suddenly made sense - the lumbering body, the full body suit with a sort of control pattern on the chest, and the infamous mechanical breathing - Vader was a cyborg, and the Force lightning inflicted massive damage on his cybernetics. Now that she wasn't held back by the threat of the clones surrounding her, Phanza was able to pour the full brunt of her lightning into Vader's suit, and it was having a devastating effect.

The electrocution brought the Sith giant to his knees, his legs unable to support him with the hydraulic and cybernetic support. I watched as Vader even dropped his lightsaber, the hilt falling dumbly on the ground as Vader lost control of her mechanical hands as the lightning short-circuited his electronics and fried his remaining nerves and human parts as well. I watched as a cable in Vader's neck outright exploded, his breathing growing erratic and inconsistently mechanical in the aftermath. This was how we could win, this was how we could defeat Vader. For the first time in the Battle of Taaszon, I allowed myself to grow hopeful, seeing that things were finally going our way. That was, until I heard an unbridled, animalistic scream, unsupported by his cybernetics, sounding like it came from the damaged, choked vocal cords of a creature that went through an experience it should never have survived. Then I saw Vader's hand pushing through the pain, reaching for something - his lightsaber at first, I thought, but then I noticed that he was reaching for his belt instead - pulling some sort of device off of it. Pulling his hand back out, with what seemed to be some kind of detonator in his hand, Vader used the last of his strength to pull the trigger.

A cry and a hiss tore through the air. My head whipped around to the source, as did Schweva's, and even Phanza dropped her lightning to see what that sound was. We found the answer soon enough, seeing Thonna's Third Sister mask clamp shut and parts of it begin glowing red as Thonna clawed at the mask, trying to get it off. I didn't understand what was going on - was the detonator a mind control device like that which was on the clones? Was it suffocating her? Or was it...oh no. The red lights were soon joined with beeping, then they started flashing, progressively faster. We tried to come closer to her, trying to help her, but Thonna raised a hand, trying to stop us, trying to protect us from what was going to happen. The beeping, the incessant beeping, getting faster and faster and faster still until finally...it ended with a bang. The three of us stood there shocked, barely able to process what had just happened.

The reality only really set in when Thonna's dead body hit the ground with a thud, her head and helmet reduced to nothing more than a pink dust where she had just been standing. Vader...Vader killed her. The Empire had a bomb in her mask, likely a bomb in the mask of every Inquisitor, a bomb meant to destroy the Empire's weapons if they were ever turned against them, just as Vader had just demonstrated. A choked sound rang out in the air, at first, I had almost thought it had been my own sob, a reaction to seeing my friend unceremoniously killed right in front of me, but then, it continued, a choked, distorted sound, a masculine sound, but profoundly damaged, and downright sordid in tone. I turned around to see it was coming from Vader. He was laughing. My friend had died and he was laughing.

I let out an animalistic cry of my own, pouring all my hatred and pain into it - Order 66, the loss of Ullara, the loss of the Jedi and my home, seeing the galaxy fall under the thumb of Palpatine and his oppressive Empire, having to kill all those clones, and now the loss of Thonna along with Taaszon - and I unleashed all of it in a powerful Force push. I watched as Vader fell to his fate and then beyond, his knees hitting the railing with a sickening crack before the weight of his torso and the strength of my Force push sent him flying to the ground, a pained grunt turning into a bloody scream as he fell to the ground. I heard the thud as Vader finally crashed against the ground, but that wasn't enough for me, I wanted to finish him off. I marched over to the edge of the railing, gathering lightning at my fingertips, before finally looking over the edge there. I saw Vader lying painfully in a crater of his own making, unable to get up on his own power, but there were clones nearby, clones who could save him if I didn't end all of us this right now.

"Zaliza! We need to go!" Phanza ordered, my Master speaking for the first time since we rescued her.

"He killed my friend!" I growled in response, there needed to finally be some justice in this galaxy, and if that meant that I had to kill one last enemy, then so be it.

"We'll all be dead if we don't run, look!" Phanza grabbed me and pointed to the sky, where Palpatine's flagship was rotating its cannons at us, about to open fire now that Vader was out of the way. It wasn't a regular Venator-star destroyer either, it was somehow larger and more heavily armed than the other ships, and I knew that wasn't a good sign, far from it.

"Okay, okay, fine." I accepted, turning and running.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was a big one, like I said, and next chapter will cover the escape from Taaszon.


End file.
